UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
Office of the Vice-President, Research and Associate Provost
Ethics Review Office
UNDERGRADUATE ETHICS REVIEW PROTOCOL FORM
STUDENT-INITIATED PROJECT
DELEGATED ETHICS REVIEW COMMITTEE reviewing this project:
Psychology
FACULTY SUPERVISOR:
Name
Morgan Barense
Personnel Number 1087636
Department
Psychology
Mailing Address
Sidney Smith Hall, 4th floor, 100 St. George Street, University of Toronto,
Toronto, ON M5S 3G3
Phone 416-978-5429
Fax 416-978-4811
Email barense@psych.utoronto.ca
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT):
Name ______________
Student Number ___________
Department _______
Mailing Address: ___.
Phone _________
___ Fax
____ Email
_________
COURSE:
Course Title Individual Projects
Project Title Contributions of the hippocampus and perirhinal cortex to memory and
perception
Course Code PSY303H1S
Course Start Date
Jan. 12, 2009
(The student’s project will be considered completed once the course is over. It is possible,
however, to submit an annual renewal form if the project continues beyond the course.)
MINIMAL RISK AND EXPEDITED REVIEW:
Risk to participants should be proportionate to student experience and pedagogical goals,
with appropriate levels of responsibility and supervision. Typically, undergraduate research
should involve minimal risk, which means that the probability and magnitude of harm due to
participation in the research is no greater than that encountered by participants in their
everyday lives. Assessing risk may to some degree be affected by discipline-specific
considerations—e.g., forensics, medicine, and nursing may involve work with participants in
clinical settings, with attendant requirements for oversight and team qualifications.
Departments will likely want to work with the Ethics Review Office (ERO) to decide how best
to handle different levels of risk. Additional on-line resources may also be helpful, including:
 www.research.utoronto.ca/ethics
 www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/english/policystatement/policystatement.cfm
 www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/english/tutorial/
To evaluate risk for this protocol, consider:
 Group vulnerability—i.e., any pre-existing vulnerabilities associated with proposed
participant groups, e.g., relating to pre-existing physiological or health conditions,
cognitive or emotional factors, and socio-economic or legal status.
 Research risk—i.e., the probability and magnitude of harms participants may
experience as a result of the proposed methods to be used and types of data to be
Simcoe Hall 27 King’s College Circle, Room 10A Toronto Ontario M5S 1A1 Fax 416-946-5763
collected, e.g., relating to physiological or health issues such as clinical diagnoses or
side effects, cognitive or emotional factors such as stress or anxiety during data
collection, and socio-economic or legal ramifications such as stigma, loss of
employment, deportation, or criminal investigation (e.g., in the event of duty to report
intent to cause serious harm, subpoena, or breach of confidentiality).
Please provide over-all assessments of group vulnerability and research risk (i.e., low,
medium, high) and locate the protocol in the matrix, below.
RISK MATRIX: Review Type by Group Vulnerability and Research Risk--circle one:
Group vulnerability
Research Risk
Low
Medium
High
Low
Expedited
Expedited
Full
Medium
Expedited
Full
Full
High
Full
Full
Full
Briefly explain (max. 100 words) the group vulnerability and research risk, and explain any
exceptional circumstances (e.g., student experience) justifying greater than minimal risk:
Participants will be recruited from a pool of undergraduate and graduate students. They are no preexisting
vulnerabilities associated with this participant group. The probability and magnitude of possible harm is no greater
than those encountered by the participants in their everyday life. The methods have no psychological or healthrelated side effects and do not cause discomfort. The procedure is painless and has no known risks.
CO-INVESTIGATORS:
Are co-investigators involved?
Yes  No 
If YES, provide the name(s) and contact information on a separate sheet.
[Names of co-Investigators attached]
HOST SITES:
Indicate the location(s) where the research will be conducted:
University of Toronto
Affiliated teaching hospital  _______________________________ (specify site(s))
Community within the GTA  _______________________________ (specify site(s))
Other  _______________________________________________ (specify site(s))
N.B. If the research is to be conducted at a site requiring administrative
approval/consent (e.g., in a school), please include all draft administrative consent
letters. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine what other means of
approval are required, and to obtain approval prior to starting the project.
Other Research Ethics Board Approval:
(a) Does the research involve another institution or site?
Yes  No
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(b) Has any other REB approved this project?
Yes  No
(c) If Yes, please provide a copy of the approval letter upon submission of this application.
(d) If No, will any other REB be asked for approval?
Yes
No 
If Yes, please specify which REB ____ University of Toronto Ethics Review Office
BACKGROUND, PURPOSE, AND OBJECTIVES:
Briefly describe the pedagogical goal and scholarly motivation for the project.
Most theories regarding the organization of memory in the human brain posit functional and
neuroanatomical segregation of the processes supporting long-term memory, short-term
memory, and perception. Recent findings have challenged this view, suggesting that there is
not a homogenous system in the brain specialized for long-term memory. Taken together,
this emerging body of evidence suggests that it may not be particularly useful to draw sharp
distinctions between perception, short-term memory and long-term memory, as these neatly
segregated parcels of cognitive function may not map onto discrete cortical areas. Instead, a
more productive approach in understanding the operation of memory may be to consider the
underlying neural representation required to perform the task at hand. Through a series of
behavioral studies in healthy participants, the proposed project will investigate this
hypothesis.
METHODS AND DATA:
 If the research takes place in a controlled environment (e.g. clinic, laboratory, formal
interview or tests), describe sequentially, and in detail, all procedures in which
research participants will be involved.
 If the research involves naturalistic or participant observation, please describe the
setting, the types of interactive and observational procedures to be used, and the
kinds of information to be collected.
 If the research involves secondary analysis of previously collected data, describe the
original source of the data and measures that have been taken to protect data
subjects’ identities.
 If the project involves using specialized methods with participants, describe the
student’s relevant past experience, or the nature of any supervision they may receive.
N.B. Attach a copy of all questionnaires, interview guides or other test instruments.
Participants will view stimuli presented on a computer monitor, at a viewing distance of 3060cm. They will be seated in an adjustable chair to ensure their comfort. A chin and
forehead rest will be used to stabilize head position, and participants will be encouraged to
find their most comfortable position. During the experiments, visual stimuli will appear on the
computer screen (e.g., emotionally neutral photographs of everyday objects, emotionally
neutral line drawings of objects, geometric shapes, emotionally neutral words). For some
conditions, auditory stimuli (a series of simple tones) will be presented. These stimuli will be
presented through headphones at a comfortable listening level determined by the participant
before commencing the experiment.
The presentation of stimuli will vary across different conditions, but will typically be between
0.5 - 5 seconds. The participants will be asked to respond to the stimuli by pressing a
response key, giving a verbal response, pointing to a stimulus, or by directing an eye
movement towards the stimulus. Participants will be asked to respond to target stimuli
immediately after each stimulus presentation or to indicate at the end of a block (of
approximately 10-20 stimuli) whether or not the target stimulus was present over the course
of the block. For other conditions, they will be asked to indicate whether or not the stimulus
had been presented earlier in the experiment, or to merely to report what they had just been
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shown (such as in the case of a word stimulus). Response times and accuracy will be
recorded. Data will be analyzed with SPSS using t-tests and ANOVAs.
PARTICIPANTS, INFORMANTS, OR DATA SUBJECTS:
Describe the individuals whose personal information is to be used as part of the assignment
(i.e., in terms of inclusion and exclusion criteria, especially where active recruitment is
involved). If the assignment involves working with a vulnerable population, describe the
student’s relevant past experience, or the nature of any supervision they may receive.
The majority of the participants will be undergraduate and graduate students from the
University of Toronto. Exclusion criteria comprise neurological diseases, visual problems and
language problems (as verbal responses will be required in some studies).
RECRUITMENT:
Where there is formal recruitment, please describe how and from where the participants will
be recruited. Where participant observation is to be used, please explain the form of insertion
of the researcher into the research setting (e.g., living in a community, visiting on a bi-weekly
basis, etc.) Where relevant, please explain any non-research relationship between the
student and the research participants (e.g., teacher-student, manager-employee, nursepatient).
N.B. Attach a copy of any posters, advertisements, flyers, letters, or telephone scripts
to be used for recruitment.
The majority of the participants will be undergraduate and graduate students from the
University of Toronto. Most undergraduate students will be recruited through the Psychology
100 Participant Pool or other Psychology courses offering course credit for participating in an
experiment. Recruitment from the Psych 100 Participant Pool and participating Psychology
courses will be done through announcements made by the course instructor before or after
the lecture. These announcements may also be made by researchers working under Dr.
Barense. There will be no recruitment flyers posted for these populations.
Volunteer participants from the UofT community may also be recruited and will receive
monetary compensation for the time at the rate suggested by the Department of Psychology
($10 per hour for behavioural studies). Recruitment flyers will be posted around the
University of Toronto St. George Campus on public bulletin boards. We will be recruiting
healthy adults from the UofT community.
RISKS:
Indicate if the participants might experience any of the following risks:
(a) Physical (e.g., bodily contact, administration of any substance)?
Yes  No
(b) Psychological/emotional (e.g., feeling embarrassed, anxious, upset)? Yes  No
(c) Social (e.g., possible loss of status, privacy, reputation)?
Yes  No
(d) Is there any deception involved (see “Debriefing”, below)?
Yes  No
(e) Are risks to participants greater than in their everyday life?
Yes  No
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If you answered Yes to any of the above, please explain the risks, and describe how they will
be managed, and how they are proportionate to student experience and pedagogical goals.
BENEFITS:
Discuss any potential direct benefits to the participants from their involvement in the project.
Comment on potential benefits to the student, the scholarly community, or society that would
justify involvement of participants in this study. (See the note on courtesy copies of final
reports in the “Debriefing” section, below)
There are no direct benefits to the participants other than learning about the scientific method
and its direct application in addressing specific research questions.
The potential benefits to the scientific/scholarly community are potentially substantive as the
results from this project will guide further research in developing treatments and diagnostic
techniques for debilitating disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal
dementia.
COMPENSATION:
Will participants receive compensation for participation?
Financial
In-kind
Other
Yes
No 
Yes
No 
Yes  No
Yes
No 
(b) If Yes, please provide details.
Participants recruited from the Psychology 100 Participant Pool or other Psychology courses
at the University of Toronto will receive course credit for their participation. Paid participants
will receive $10 per hour for behavioural studies.
(c) Where there is a withdrawal clause in the research procedure, if participants choose to
withdraw, how will you deal with compensation?
Participants will be fully credited or reimbursed even if they decide to withdraw from the study
before completion.
CONSENT PROCESS:
Describe the process that the student will use to obtain informed consent. Please note, it is
the quality of the consent not the format that is important: if there will be no written consent
form, please explain (e.g., if culturally inappropriate). If the research involves extraction or
collection of personal information from a data subject, please describe how consent from the
individuals or authorization from the custodian will be obtained. For information about the
required elements in the information letter and consent form, please refer to: :
http://www.research.utoronto.ca/ethics/eh_u_inf.html
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N.B. Where applicable, please attach a copy of the Information Letter/Consent Form,
the content of any telephone script, letters of administrative consent or authorization
and/or any other material which will be used in the informed consent process.
An information letter and consent form will be provided to the participant to review and sign.
The experimenter will also verbally describe the contents of the information letter and consent
form. The participant will be given a copy of the consent form to take away.
The consent form and information letter are attached to this application.
All students and research assistants involved in the project have substantial experience
testing participants. At the start of each project, testers will meet with Dr. Barense to review
all aspects of the study and ensure compliance with laboratory and ethics protocol. Members
of the lab will then test each other before they can begin recruiting participants. All testers will
be well-trained by the time they begin collecting data.
If the participants are children, or are not competent to consent, describe the proposed
alternate source of consent, including any permission/information letter to be provided to the
person(s) providing the alternate consent as well as the assent process for participants.
Not applicable.
Where applicable, please describe how the participants will be informed of their right to
withdraw from the project. Outline the procedures which will be followed to allow them to
exercise this right.
Participants will be informed both verbally and in writing that they have the right to withdraw
from the study at any time with no penalty whatsoever. If a participant chooses to withdraw,
he or she may immediately discontinue the task and inform the experimenter of his/her desire
to stop the experiment. The participant will then be fully compensated and given a complete
debriefing.
Indicate what will be done with the participant’s data and any consequences which withdrawal
may have on the participant.
Incomplete data from a participant who withdraws will be destroyed.
consequences from withdrawing for the participant.
There will be no
If the participants will not have the right to withdraw from the project at all, or beyond a certain
point, please explain.
Not applicable.
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PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY:
Will the data be treated as confidential?
Yes
No 
If Yes, please describe the procedures to be used to protect confidentiality during the conduct
of research and in preparation of the final report.
After consenting to participate in the experiment, the participant will be assigned a number.
All subsequent data analysis will be conducted using the participant number and the date/time
of the session. Processed data will be archived in digital form and stored in a locked office
and on a password protected computer or file server. Any data presented publicly will be
identified with the participant number only. All records involving the participant’s name (e.g.,
the consent form) will be kept confidentially in a secured cabinet in a locked office. Paper
score sheets will not identify participants by name, only by participant numbers.
Explain how written records, video/audio tapes and questionnaires will be stored (e.g.,
password protected computer, double locked office and filing cabinet), and provide details of
their final disposal or retention schedule.
Written and digital records will be kept in a secure cabinet in a locked office. Access to
computer files will be password protected. All records will be retained for five years, upon
which time they will archived or destroyed.
If No—i.e., confidentiality is not appropriate in the context of this assignment—please explain
(e.g., participants are key informants with established reputations in their field).
DEBRIEFING:
Explain what information (e.g., research summary) will be provided to the participants after
participation in the project. If deception will be used in the research study, please explain
what information will be provided to the participants after participation in the project—if
applicable, attach a copy of the written debriefing form.
N.B. Please note that all copies of the students’ final reports—e.g., for circulation as
courtesy copies, or future writing samples—must clearly indicate on the cover page
the instructor, course number, and department or program at the University of Toronto
that the report was prepared for.
Participants will be given a debriefing text (see attached). If they wish to be informed of their
results, participants may contact Dr. Barense. Dr. Barense’s contact information is provided on
the Consent Form.
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SIGNATURES:
As the Principal Investigator on this project, my signature testifies that I will ensure that all
procedures performed under the project will be conducted in accordance with all relevant
University, provincial and national policies and regulations that govern research involving
human participants. Any deviation from the project as originally approved will be submitted to
the Research Ethics Board for approval prior to its implementation.
Signature of Principal Investigator:
(Undergraduate Student)
Date:
As the Faculty Supervisor on this project, my signature testifies that I have reviewed and
approve the scholarly merit of the research project and this ethics protocol submission. I will
provide the necessary supervision to the student researcher throughout the project, to ensure
that all procedures performed under the research project will be conducted in accordance with
University, provincial and national policies and regulations that govern research involving
human subjects. This includes ensuring that the level of risk inherent to the project is
managed by the level of research experience that the student has, combined with the extent
of oversight that will be provided by the Faculty Supervisor and/or On-site Supervisor.
Signature of Faculty Supervisor:
Date:
As the Undergraduate Coordinator, my signature testifies that I am aware of the proposed
activity, and understand that the level of risk inherent to the project should be managed by the
level of research experience that the student has, combined with the extent of oversight that
will be provided by the Faculty Supervisor and/or On-site Supervisor.
Signature of Undergraduate Coordinator:
Date:
As the Departmental Chair/Dean, my signature testifies that I am aware of the proposed
activity, will allocate space and other resources required, and will provide administrative
support to the research activity. My department, faculty or division will oversee the conduct of
research involving human subjects to ensure compliance with University, provincial and
national policies and regulations. My signature also reflects the willingness of the
department, faculty or division to administer the research funds, if there are any, in
accordance with University, regulatory agency and sponsor agency policies.
Signature of Departmental Chair/Dean:
Date:
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