Researcher: [NAME]
Email: [EMAIL ADDRESS]
Supervisor: [NAME]
Email [EMAIL ADDRESS AND WORK PHONE NUMBER]
Department of Psychology, Social Work and Public Health,
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Oxford Brookes University
OX3 0BP
DATE
Is there a relationship between the way we view ourselves, rumination and the
way we think about things?
You are being invited to take part in a research study. To help you decide whether or
not to take part, please read the following information about why the research is
being done.
What is the purpose of the study?
The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a relationship between selfesteem (e.g. how positive you feel about yourself), rumination (thinking deeply about
past experiences) and the way we think about things. Previous research has
investigated beliefs about the self and others, or beliefs and rumination but so far there
is no research investigating all three of these in the typical population.
Who is eligible to take part in this study?
You have been invited to take part as you are aged between 18 and 25 and known to
the researcher or to one of the researcher’s contacts. Please note that the study is open
only to individuals who have not been diagnosed with a psychiatric condition.
Do I have to take part?
No. It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you do decide to take part
you will be asked to sign a consent form and you are still free to withdraw any
unprocessed data without giving a reason.
What will happen to me if I take part?
You will be invited to the Psychology rooms at Oxford Brookes University or if it is
more convenient for you, the study can be carried out by the researcher visiting your
home or some other location where there is a quiet room that can be used for about
20-25 minutes.
You will be asked to complete two questionnaires (taking 5-10 minutes each). The
first is about self-esteem and the second is about your current mood. The
questionnaires are followed by one of two tasks to which you will be randomly
assigned. One task involves thinking in detail about a particularly negative memory
for about three minutes. The other task involves counting the number of words on a
computer screen for the same amount of time. Once you have completed your
assigned task you will be asked to complete a third questionnaire about the way you
think about things. The final task will involve spending some time recalling and
detailing a positive memory. The whole process should therefore take approximately
20-25 minutes.
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What are the possible benefits and risks of taking part?
There are no specific benefits to you in taking part. However, the research will
contribute to our understanding of psychological processes (this is the first time these
factors have been studied in this combination). Half of the participants will be asked
to think about a negative memory and this can be uncomfortable. If you are unsure
about this you should not volunteer to take part. However, research has shown that
the effects of thinking about negative events are temporary and countered by thinking
about positive memories.
When you have finished all the tasks and questionnaires you will be given a
debriefing sheet to keep. This gives further information about the aims and the
potential implications of this study.
Will what I say in this study be kept confidential?
You will not be asked to give your name or any identification on any of the materials
used during this experiment, so all the information you give will be anonymous. .
Only the researcher and supervisor will have access to the data, which will be stored
in accordance with the University's policy on Academic Integrity.
The data will be used for an MSc dissertation and may form part of a published article
or conference/seminar paper. The data generated in the course of the research will be
kept securely in either paper or electronic form and will be destroyed one year
following award of the MSc degree, or (if the data is likely to be used for a
publication or conference paper) it may be kept for a period of ten years after the
completion of the research project. All email contact details and messages to or from
you will be deleted as soon as you have taken part in the research.
What should I do if I want to take part?
If you wish to take part, please email the researcher using the contact details above.
Appointments can be made for any time that suits you. If you are unable to attend an
appointment it would be helpful if you could give the researcher 24 hours’ notice.
Who is organising and funding the research?
The research is being conducted in part fulfilment of an MSc in Psychology at Oxford
Brookes University.
Who has reviewed the study?
This study has been approved by the Department of Psychology Research Ethics
Committee at Oxford Brookes University [Insert NAME and approval number]. If
you have any concerns about the way in which the study has been conducted, you can
contact the Psychology Research Ethics Officer, Morag MacLean,
on mmaclean@brookes.ac.uk.
Contact for Further Information
For further information regarding this study please contact the experimenter or
supervisor, their contact details can be found above.
Thank you for taking time to read this information.
Researcher’s name
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