Are Rsearch Assistants , and Research Associates the same thing?

[Skibz]

Thank you. 

[huskypsych]

My understanding is that different institutions have different titles. People doing the same job in different places may be called an assistant, associate, coordinator, manager, etc. However, there may be a distinction or hierarchy within your institution. For example, I know many people who were "coordinators" post-bacc doing the same type of thing I was doing as an "assistant", but at my institution, research coordinators all held master's degrees. 

[alittlestitious]

In my experience, Research Assistants have a master's degree (or maybe sometimes even bachelor's degree) and Research Associates have a PhD

[psychology_student_]

what buckeyepsych said, totally arbitrary and varies place to place. even one system (U of Cal) can have dif titles for same jobs (assistant, associate, specialist, etc)