PLAIN LANGUAGE STATEMENT AND CONSENT FORM

Full Project Title:  Testing the Trait-like Nature of Cognitive Styles
Principal Researcher: Dr. Ben Richardson
Associate Researcher: Mr. Mathew Ling

We are looking for volunteers in Australia above 18 years of age to participate in our study.

We are interested in learning more about thinking styles, in particular, those related to a preference for simplicity and would like to invite you to participate. As certain ways of thinking have been shown to be associated with anxiety, educational achievement and job satisfaction, we are interested in whether they remain the same over time or if they are changeable.

To this end, we would like to invite you to participate by filling in two questionnaires (one now, and one in a month’s time) asking a few general questions about yourself,  about how much order and simplicity you like in your life, and about your personality. If you choose to participate at the end of this page you will be redirected to the first questionnaire which  will take approximately 35 minutes and must be completed in one sitting. You will be asked to provide a small amount of contact information so you can be sent the details of the second round of data collection in a month’s time. The second round of data collection, again via online questionnaire, will take approximately 30 minutes for you to complete.

Your data, due to the repeated measurement nature of the study, will be associated with an individual code number in order to associate your results at time one and two. In order to protect your confidentiality, your name or contact details will be kept in a separate data file and will at no point be associated with  your survey results. The contact information provided will be deleted at the completion of the second time point. If you agree to participate, the results will be used in the production of research publications and the PhD research thesis of Mr. Mathew Ling. No individual data will be utilised in any publication, only collated, un-identifiable group results.

We cannot guarantee any direct personal benefit as a result of participation in this study, however, your contribution may help improve the understanding and treatment of many societal ills including anxiety and prejudice.

Participation in any research project is voluntary. If you do not wish to take part you are not obliged to. If you decide to take part and later change your mind, you are free to withdraw at any time up until your results are returned to the researchers. Given the anonymous nature of data collection, it is not possible to withdraw after this time.

This project has been approved by a human ethics panel at Deakin University.

If you have any complaints about any aspect of the project, the way it is being conducted or any questions about your rights as a research participant, then you may contact:
The Manager, Office of Research Integrity, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood Victoria 3125, Telephone: 03 9251 7129, Facsimile: 03 9244 6581; research-ethics@deakin.edu.au

Please quote project number HEAG-H 86_2011

Before you make your decision, a member of the research team will be available to answer any questions you have about the research project.  If you require further information or if you have any problems concerning this project you can contact the researchers. Additionally, if you wish to find out the results of this study, please contact the researchers at the below e-mail addresses and the details will be forwarded to you at the completion of the study.  Please be advised that as your data will be de-identified at completion, it will be impossible for us to provide you with individual feedback on your responses.

The researchers responsible for this project are:

Mathew Ling
mling@deakin.edu.au

Dr. Ben Richardson
ben.richardson@deakin.edu.au
School of Psychology
Faculty of Health
Deakin University
Burwood, VIC 3125

If you wish to take part in this research please click the following button to indicate that you have read and understood the terms of the plain language statement and agree to participate. Pressing the Submit button at the conclusion of the questionnaire will indicate your consent.