OCCUPATION THESAURUS

HUMAN TEST SUBJECT



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HELPFUL TIP:

There’s probably a good reason why your character chose their career. Think about how certain talents and skills, a dominant positive or negative trait, or even an emotional wound might have influenced this decision. And once they're on the job, don't forget about the many work-related conflict scenarios you can throw at them to create tension and add complications.
OVERVIEW:
A human test subject is someone who agrees to be part of an experiment that either involves a clinical trial (taking drugs, vaccines, supplements, or having a medical device used) to see what the effects are, or they offer biological contributions (blood, saliva, sperm, urine, skin cells, dandruff, or whatever is being tested) or have dermatological studies of their conditions. The test subject may part of a social science experiment to analyze behavior. In these studies, they may be asked specific questions, asked to perform specific cognitive tasks, or be exposed to different conditions that can alter the test subject's physical, mental, and emotional state. In any study, the participant might be part of the test group or the control group, and they usually do not know which.

Test subjects may be chosen for specific reasons (they have a specific type of cancer, they suffered frontal lobe damage after an accident, they experience a specific phenomenon like synesthesia, etc.), or they may not, depending on what is being tested. They may be asked to adhere to specific routines (exercise routines, sleep routines, etc.), dietary changes, and abstain from taking any medication, supplements, or mood enhancers for the duration of the trial. This is especially important for clinical trials as researchers must be able to see cause and effect clearly when it comes to treatments or drugs, understand the effects and the side effects to better determine risk factors.

A character wishing to be a test subject would have to provide consent to be part of the study. They exchange money for their participation, and are highly regulated to prevent unethical experimentation. There are risks to this job; if something goes wrong (a painful side effect, an addiction, etc.) the private companies may pay for some medical help but often not enough for what is needed, and there's no compensation for time lost at work, ongoing pain or long-term symptoms.

Other (safer types) of test subject gigs would be to fill out surveys, participate in panel discussions for market research, test toys or other products, or even participate in mock trials.

NECESSARY TRAINING:
No training is necessary, but one must fit the perimeters of the study. If the group is not random selection, the character might need to be within a specific high and weight range, be in good overall health, abstain from alcohol and other enhancements, and often be free of drugs and supplements (even over the counter ones) for a month before the trial begins.

USEFUL SKILLS, TALENTS, OR ABILITIES:
CHARM, EXCEPTIONAL MEMORY, GOOD LISTENING SKILLS, HIGH PAIN TOLERANCE, MULTITASKING, READING PEOPLE

HELPFUL POSITIVE TRAITS:
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HELPFUL NEGATIVE TRAITS:
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EMOTIONAL WOUNDS THAT MAY HAVE FACTORED INTO THIS OCCUPATION CHOICE:
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SOURCES OF FRICTION:
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PEOPLE THEY MIGHT INTERACT WITH:
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HOW THIS OCCUPATION MIGHT IMPACT ONE'S BASIC NEEDS:
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TWISTING THE STEREOTYPE:
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REASONS THE CHARACTER MAY HAVE BEEN DRAWN TO THIS PROFESSION:
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