Consent to Participate in a Research Study

Social Behaviors and Intimacy in Relationships

 

Principal Investigator:  Sari M. van Anders, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Michigan

IRB: Behavioral Sciences

IRB Number: HUM00028562

Document approved on: 4/1/2009

 

INFORMATION: We invite you to participate in a research study examining social behaviors and intimacy in relationships. If you agree to participate in this study, you will be asked to complete an online questionnaire that has questions about your health and background, personal sexual experiences, relationship experiences, and cuddling experiences. Participation in this study takes 20-30 minutes. If you have more than one current partner, the study will likely take you longer.

RISKS: You will be responding to questions about your personal sexual activity and relationship experience, and we believe there is little risk involved in your responding to this questionnaire. Your name will not be attached to your responses, and participation is confidential.

BENEFITS
Benefits to You as a Participant: Exploring your past and present social behaviors and intimacy experiences may be informative, interesting, and potentially even beneficial to you.
Benefits to Science and Medicine: Very little is known about how individuals engage in intimate behaviors like cuddling within relationships. Understanding more about these behaviors may help researchers and clinicians interested in relationships and intimacy do more research and/or consider suggestions for improving relationships.

COMPENSATION: You can choose to enter into a raffle for one prize of $50. Participants will be notified via contact information and a check will be mailed to the address provided.

CONFIDENTIALITY: Participation is confidential and identifying information will not be present on the data you provide. Data will be stored in an electronic file and/or in a filing cabinet in the locked Social Neuroendocrinology Lab in East Hall (the Psychology building at the University of Michigan), and only research personnel will have access to information. We plan to publish the results of this study, but we will not include any information that would identify you; data are only discussed in terms of averages across many participants. We plan to keep these study data indefinitely for future research related to these topics. There are some reasons why people other than the researchers may need to see information you provided as part of the study. This includes organizations responsible for making sure the research is done safely and properly, including the University of Michigan, government offices, or the study sponsor, the National Institutes of Health. Also, federal or state law may require the study team to give certain information to government agencies to prevent harm to you or others.

CONTACT: If you have questions about this research, including questions about the raffle, you can contact Sari van Anders, Ph.D., University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, 3028 East Hall, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, 734-647-6981, smva@umich.edu. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, please contact the University of Michigan Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board, (734) 936-0933, 540 E. Liberty St., Suite 202 Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2210, irbhsbs@umich.edu.

CONSENT: By clicking on the consent button you are agreeing to be part of the study. Participating in this research is completely voluntary. Even if you decide to participate now, you may change your mind and stop at any time. You can print a copy of this document for your records. Be sure that questions you have about the study have been answered and that you understand what you are being asked to do. You may contact the researcher if you think of a question later.

If you agree to participate in the study, click below and then click the Next >> button.