The College of William & Mary
Department of Psychology
PO Box 8795 Williamsburg VA 23187-8795
757-221-3870
fax 757-221-3896
Chartered 1693 ________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Parent or Guardian:
We are inviting 6th through 8th grade boys to participate in a research project sponsored by the
Department of Psychology at The College of William & Mary. This project is being led by Kara Braunstein, a
Master’s student, for her thesis project, and Dr. Janice Zeman, her advisor. We are interested in how:
(a) children and their friends manage their feelings (e.g., do they tell each other when they are sad?)
(b) children respond to their friends’ feelings (e.g., are they nice and helpful to their friends when they are sad?)
(c) children’s mental health is affected by their friends (e.g., do children with unsupportive friends feel lonely?)
Participation in this project can take place in your home or at our offices at The College of William & Mary at a
time convenient for you (e.g., weekends, evenings). We ask that a same-sex best or good friend of your child’s
choosing also be present to participate in the project with your child. A second copy of this form will be
provided for you to give to the best friend’s parent or guardian.
How can my child and I participate? If you are interested in participating in the project, you can either mail
the completed form to us or let us know you are interested by calling or emailing. You may reach us at (757)
221-3877 (leave a message if no one answers and we will call you back) or email us at WMbffproject@gmail.com.
Researchers will respond to you promptly to schedule a time that would be convenient for you, your child and
his or her friend to participate. All project questionnaires and tasks will be completed with the help of William
and Mary students.
What will you and your child be asked to do? If you agree to allow your child to participate, your child and
his or her best friend will complete questionnaires and participate in a 15-minute discussion task about a
problem they each choose to discuss. Children will be told that their answers will be private and that they may
skip any questions that make them uncomfortable.
While the students are working with the children, we would like you (the mother) to complete five
questionnaires. We will mail the questionnaires to your child’s best friend’s mother to complete. These will take
about 30 minutes for you to complete. The session for the children will last about 60 minutes total. As a thank
you for participating, the children will receive $10 in cash.
Children will answer questions about:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
how they and their best friend manage their feelings
how they respond to and talk about feelings within their friendship
the quality of friendship with their best friend
social experiences (being bullied, helping others)
how often they feel sad, lonely, or worried/nervous
THIS PROJECT WAS APPROVED BY THE COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY PROTECTION OF HUMAN
SUBJECTS COMMITTEE (Phone 757-221-3966) ON 2014-03-20 AND EXPIRES ON 2014-03-20.
Children’s mothers will answer questions about:
a) their child’s emotions and behaviors
b) how they manage their feelings and respond to their child’s feelings
c) how emotions are shown in their family
Voluntary Participation: Participation is completely voluntary. In order for your child to participate, you must
give permission by signing this form. If you give permission, we will also ask your child if he or she wants to
participate. There are no penalties for not participating and you or your child may stop or skip questions at any
time.
Privacy and confidentiality: Your answers and your child’s answers will be used for research purposes only
and will not be shared with anyone else. We will use identification numbers rather than your child’s name to
make sure that his or her answers are confidential. All completed questionnaires will be stored in a locked room
with limited access and will be destroyed when they are no longer needed. Confidentiality will only be broken if
your child’s answers tell us that he or she is having high levels of emotional distress. In such a case, we will
notify the child’s legal guardian.
Video and Audio Recording: Your child will be video and audio recorded during the 15 minute discussion
task. Signing the form below means that you agree to have your child video and audio recorded. These
recordings will not be attached to you or your child’s name and will be used for research purposes only. The
files will be stored on an external hard drive that will be locked in a laboratory with access to researchers only.
Risks and Benefits: Participation in this research project is voluntary. Your child will be asked questions about
his or her feelings and friendships that may make him or her feel uncomfortable answering. You may also be
asked questions that you are not comfortable answering. Although your child may receive no direct personal
benefit from this study, the results from this study will add to our knowledge of how children manage and learn
about emotions within their friendships. We will also learn more about how expressing feelings within
children’s friendships relates to outcomes such as loneliness, depression, and negative peer experiences.
Questions about the Study: Any questions regarding the study or its procedures can be directed to Kara
Braunstein (757-803-3529 or kabraunstein@email.wm.edu) or Dr. Janice Zeman (757-221-3877 or
jlzema@wm.edu). Questions about your rights as a research participant can be answered by Dr. Ray McCoy,
the Chair of the Protection of Human Subjects Committee (consent@wm.edu or 1-855-800-7187).
Thank you for your participation,
Kara Braunstein, B. S.
Department of Psychology
College of William & Mary
P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Phone: (757) 803-3529
Email: kabraunstein@email.wm.edu
Janice Zeman, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
College of William & Mary
P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Phone: (757) 221-3877
Email: jlzema@wm.edu
THIS PROJECT WAS APPROVED BY THE COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY PROTECTION OF HUMAN
SUBJECTS COMMITTEE (Phone 757-221-3966) ON 2014-03-20 AND EXPIRES ON 2014-03-20.
Parental Consent Form
(please check all that apply)
__________Yes, my child can participate
___________Yes, I will also participate
_________ No, my child cannot participate
__________No, I do not want to participate
__________I am not sure. Please contact me so I can discuss my concerns.
By signing below, I agree that I fully understand my rights and my child’s rights as a research participant and consent to
allow my child to participate. I understand that my child or I can discontinue the study at any time without penalty.
Your Child’s Name:
Parent/Guardian Signature:
Date:
Parent/Guardian’s Printed Name:
Please provide us with the following contact information:
Home address:
Street
City, State
Phone #:
Alternate Phone #:
Email address:
Child’s gender: Male
Female
Child’s birthday:
/
/
Child’s Current Grade:
Please circle the most convenient way for us to get in touch with you:
Phone
E-mail
When are good days and times for us to call you?
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**Completed forms may be returned to:
Kara Braunstein
Department of Psychology
College of William & Mary
P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
THIS PROJECT WAS APPROVED BY THE COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY PROTECTION OF HUMAN
SUBJECTS COMMITTEE (Phone 757-221-3966) ON 2014-03-20 AND EXPIRES ON 2014-03-20.