Informed Consent Document
Facebook and Ex-Romantic Partners Study
[Purpose]
You are being asked to participate in a research study about how people perceive their former romantic partners on Facebook. The purpose of this research is to learn more about how people perceive their former romantic partners in social network sites like Facebook. You were selected as a possible participant because you are a current Facebook user, have been in a romantic relationship in the past year such that you are no longer romantically involved with that person, and you are over the age of 18.
Please read this form and ask any questions that you may have before agreeing to be in the research.
[Information about Participants’ Involvement in the Study]
The study will take place in an online survey. You may complete it in a place and time of your choosing. It should take you approximately 15 minutes to complete the research study.
If you agree to be a participant in this research, we would ask you to do the following things:
You will be asked to fill out an online survey about your former romantic partner, your own Facebook use, your former partner’s Facebook use, and your perceptions of your former partner.
[Risks]
This research has the following risks: There are no risks anticipated beyond what you would expect from any situation in which you are asked to think carefully about your former romantic partner and that person’s Facebook activity (or lack thereof). Similar research has been conducted by other researchers who did not report any adverse effects.
[Benefits]
There are not any apparent benefits to yourself. But society will benefit from learning what kind of impact using Facebook has on people’s relationships.
[Compensation]
You will receive the following payment/reimbursement: You will receive 20 minutes of research participation credit.
[Confidentiality]
The information in this research will be kept confidential. Although your name will be initially attached to the data, once all the surveys have been matched, identifying information will be erased. Only the two researchers will have access to the password protected online database containing the survey responses. The data will be made available only to the persons conducting the research. No reference will be made in oral or written reports that could link participants to the research.
[Voluntary Participation]
You do not have to perform any activity you do not want to. You do not have to answer any question you do not want to answer. Participation in this study is voluntary. If you decide to participate, you may withdraw from the study at anytime without penalty and without loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.
Contact Information:
If there are any questions at any time about the study or the procedures, or you experience adverse effects as a result of participating in this study, please contact: Prof. Chris Carpenter, 318 Memorial Hall, Office Phone: (309) 298-1622, Email:
CJ-Carpenter2@wiu.eduThis project has been reviewed and approved by the WIU Institutional Review Board. Questions concerning your rights as a participant in this research may be directed to IRB Administrator, at (309) 298-1191 or
IRB@wiu.edu.
Consent:
I have read the above information, and I have received a copy of this form. I agree to participate in this study.
Clicking “continue” indicates your consent to participate.
