Wolverines – Online Informed Consent

You will be asked to read and sign a hardcopy version of this consent form when you come in for the laboratory portion of this study. Once you have finished reading, please indicate that you agree by clicking on the “I agree” link at the bottom of this consent form.

You are being asked to participate in a research study. This form provides you with information about the study. The Principal Investigator (the person in charge of this research) or his/her representative will provide you with a copy of this form to keep for your reference, and will also describe this study to you and answer all of your questions. Please read the information below and ask questions about anything you don’t understand before deciding whether or not to take part. Your participation is entirely voluntary and you can refuse to participate without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.

Title of Research Study:

TAA Saliva Reaction Test Validity

Principal Investigator(s) (include faculty sponsor), UT affiliation, and Telephone Number(s):

Scott Liening, B.A., graduate student (512) 471-0691

Robert Josephs, Ph.D., Professor (512) 471-9788

Stephen Ristvedt, Ph.D., Professor (Washington University)

Funding source:

Not Applicable

What is the purpose of this study?

This study will examine a number of health and health related behaviors. Specifically, this study will examine the relationships between general health, health behaviors, attitudes about health, and physiological measures of health. Also included is a preliminary test of the validity of a new, non-invasive at-home test for an enzyme deficiency.

What will be done if you take part in this research study?

You will fill out a series of questionnaires online prior to coming in for the laboratory experiment. We ask that you please fill all questions out carefully and thoroughly. If you feel uncomfortable answering a certain question, you may select the “Prefer not to answer” option. During the lab portion, you will fill out a questionnaire related to Health and Health Behaviors, as well as provide a series of physiological measures (i.e. heart rate, blood pressure, and provide saliva samples for hormone analysis). You will also be asked to test a new non-invasive at-home test kit for an enzyme deficiency, before filling out two final questionnaires related to health and providing the final saliva sample.

The Project Duration is:

The study, including both the online and laboratory portions, should take roughly 90 minutes. (approximately 30 minutes for the online portion, approximately 60 minutes for lab portion)

What are the possible discomforts and risks?

There are no foreseeable risks associated with any of the tasks or procedures you will be asked to do for this study. There may be risks that are unforeseeable.

“If you wish to discuss the information above or any other risks you may experience, you may ask questions now or call the Principal Investigator listed on the front page of this form.”

What are the possible benefits to you or to others?

No benefits exist at this time

If you choose to take part in this study, will it cost you anything?

There is no cost to you for participating in this study, except your time.

Will you receive compensation for your participation in this study?

You will receive one and a half hours of research credit towards your PSY 301 research requirement. There will be no other compensation, monetary or otherwise.

What if you are injured because of the study?

“If injuries occur as a result of study activity, eligible University students may be treated at the usual level of care with the usual cost for services at the Student Health Center, but the University has no policy to provide payment in the event of a medical problem.”

There are no foreseeable risks associated with participation in this study. In the event that an injury occurs, the Student Health Services building is located across the street.

If you do not want to take part in this study, what other options are available to you?

“Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary. You are free to refuse to be in the study, and your refusal will not influence current or future relationships with The University of Texas at Austin.”

In order to fulfill your research requirement, you are free to participate in any of the other studies being offered through the Psychology Department for which you are eligible.

How can you withdraw from this research study and who should you call if you have questions?

If at any point in the study you feel that you would like to quit, please simply inform the experimenter. As your participation is completely voluntary, you may cease participating at any point.

If you wish to stop your participation in this research study for any reason, you should contact the principal investigator: Scott Liening at (512) 471-0691 or via email at sliening@mail.utexas.edu. You should also call the principal investigator for any questions, concerns, or complaints about the research. You are free to withdraw your consent and stop participation in this research study at any time without penalty or loss of benefits for which you may be entitled. Throughout the study, the researchers will notify you of new information that may become available and that might affect your decision to remain in the study.

In addition, if you have questions about your rights as a research participant, or if you have complaints, concerns, or questions about the research, please contact Jody L. Jensen, Ph.D., Chair, The University of Texas at Austin Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects (232-2685), or the Office of Research Compliance and Support at (512) 471-8871.

How will your privacy and the confidentiality of your research records be protected?

No data will be stored or analyzed with any participants’ personal information associated with it. All electronic data will be stored on a secure, password protected server at the University of Texas, Austin. All hardcopy data collected will be stored in a locked cabinet in a locked office, accessible only to the principal investigator and will only be made available to members of the research team. All data will be sorted according to assigned participant numbers. All of the saliva samples provided by subjects will be labeled with their assigned subject number, with an added “A” or “B” at the end (to differentiate the first and second sample).

If in the unlikely event it becomes necessary for the Institutional Review Board to review your research records, then the University of Texas at Austin will protect the confidentiality of those records to the extent permitted by law. Your research records will not be released without your consent unless required by law or a court order. The data resulting from your participation may be made available to other researchers in the future for research purposes not detailed within this consent form. In these cases, the data will contain no identifying information that could associate you with it, or with your participation in any study.

Will the researchers benefit from your participation in this study?

There is no benefit to the experimenter beyond the benefit of knowledge gained from the analysis of the data collected. Please see the first page of this form for more specific information on the purposes of this study.

I have read this form, and I agree to participate in the study.

Wolverines, 2008