The University of St Andrews attaches high priority to the ethical conduct of research. We therefore ask you to consider the following points before approving this form. Pressing 'Continue' confirms that you are happy to participate in the study.
Click on a subheading for more details.
What is the study about? ↓
We invite you to participate in an online general knowledge experiment. This study is being conducted as part of Benjamin Newman's programme of research in the School of Psychology.
Do I have to take part? ↓
This information page has been written to help you decide if you would like to take part. It is up to you and you alone whether or not to take part. If you do decide to take part you will be free to withdraw at any time by simply closing this browser window/tab or by clicking the 'End Study' button during the study itself.
Are there any restrictions on who can take part? ↓
You should be in a position to give informed consent to participate in the study e.g. aged 18 years or over. If you are unsure about your position to give informed consent, please feel free to e-mail me (bn8@st-andrews.ac.uk) and I will be happy to advise you.
What would I be required to do? ↓
You will first provide a small amount of demographic information (age, sex, location) to help me get a better understanding of the demographics of participants in this study. You will then complete a general knowledge task.
During the task, you will make judgements about proposed answers to given questions, indicating whether the displayed answer is true or false.
At the end of the study you will receive a breakdown of your performance and a full debrief. The whole study is estimated to take up to 10 minutes.
Will my participation be anonymous and confidential? ↓
Your data will be kept strictly confidential. Your permission will be sought in the Participant Consent Form (below) for the data you provide to be used for future scholarly purposes. No record of your IP address or any personally identifiable information will be recorded and you will never be personally identifiable from the study data you provide or the publications that result from it.
Storage and destruction of data collected ↓
Your anonymised, confidential data will be stored indefinitely.
What will happen to the results of the research study? ↓
The results will inform ongoing research and may contribute to a journal article on the experiment and/or grant proposals on human recognition processes.
Reward ↓
There is no reward offered for your participation, other than a breakdown of your performance on this particular task.
Are there any potential risks to taking part? ↓
There are no potential risks to taking part in this experiment.
Consent and approval ↓
This research proposal has been scrutinized and been granted Ethical Approval through the University of St Andrews ethical approval process.
Questions ↓
If you have any questions about this study or your participation in it, please e-mail me: bn8@st-andrews.ac.uk
What should I do if I have concerns about this study? ↓
The term ‘Anonymous Data’ refers to data collected by a researcher that has no identifier markers so that even the researcher cannot identify any participant. Consent is still required by the researcher, however no link between the participant’s approved consent document and the data collected can be made.
Consent ↓
The purpose of this form is to ensure that you are willing to take part in this study and to let you understand what it entails. Approving this form does not commit you to anything you do not wish to do.
Material gathered during this research will be anonymous, so it is impossible to trace back to you. Once it is removed from the server, it will be securely stored for an indefinite period. Please answer each statement concerning the collection and use of the research data.