Participant Information Sheet
Study Title
Validating a new mental imagery scale: The Mental Simulations Questionnaire (MSQ)

Principal researchers
Dr Reshanne Reeder, Edge Hill University, UK
Alec Figueroa, AphantasiaMeow, USA
Dr Zoe Pounder and Dr Alison Eardley, University of Westminster, UK
Dr David Schwartzman and Prof Anil Seth, University of Sussex, UK
Prof Fiona Macpherson, University of Glasgow, UK

Invitation
You are invited to take part in a study measuring individual differences in mental imagery using a series of questionnaires. Before taking part you will need to read this information sheet, and confirm that you consent to participate in the boxes below.

What is the purpose of the study?
We have created a new questionnaire that measures multiple senses of mental imagery, as well as spatial, motor, and kinaesthetic imagery; and imagery control and vividness in different situations. We seek to validate this questionnaire against well-established measures (VVIQ, OSIQ, PSI-Q), so that only a single comprehensive questionnaire will need to be provided to research participants in the future.

What will I be asked to do?
You will be asked to fill out the following information and questionnaires (~30 minutes total):
-Demographics
-Mental Simulations Questionnaire (MSQ)
-Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ)
-Plymouth Sensory Imagery Questionnaire (PSI-Q)
-Object and Spatial Imagery Questionnaire (OSIQ)

Why have I been invited?
I am looking for a diverse set of individuals from around the world to take part in this study. We are looking for people with imagery extremes (aphantasia, hyperphantasia) as well as those within the normal range of imagery abilities. Therefore, your participation will add to a diverse sample.

Consent
This research is being conducted in accordance with the British Psychological Society’s ethical guidelines. If you are happy to proceed then you will confirm your consent to take part in the study, and to have your performance data in the study processed, analysed and later published in a journal article and/or presented at academic conferences. Your individual performance data on this task will be collected, as will your age and gender but all data will remain anonymous and confidential.

Data protection legislation & the lawful basis for processing personal data
The University is committed to ensuring compliance with current data protection legislation (inc. GDPR) and confirms that all data collected is used fairly, stored safely, and not disclosed to any other person unlawfully. The University is a data controller and, in some instances, may be a data processor of this data. At Edge Hill, we are committed to respecting and protecting your personal information. To find ways in which we use your data, please see edgehill.ac.uk/about/legal/privacy.

Can I withdraw consent?
You can stop the study at any time without penalty and without giving a reason. Simply close the screen before hitting the "submit" button, and none of your data will be saved. If you are a Psychology student of Edge Hill University, you can have your submitted data withdrawn up to 2 weeks after study completion. To have your data withdrawn within 2 weeks of taking part please email the principal researcher (reederr@edgehill.ac.uk), quoting your student number.

Will my participation be confidential?
Your data will comply with data protection legislation and remain anonymous and confidential. Your individual data will not be identifiable by name at any point: you will be referred to by an anonymous identifier (e.g. Participant Number 1) in data files. Such performance data will be stored for at least 10 years on a password protected computer.

What will happen to the results of the research study?
Data from this experiment will be used for the publication of journal articles, and presented at academic conferences. Once under review, a fully anonymised version of the data will be uploaded to the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/). This version of the data would contain no personally identifiable information nor any codes that could be linked back to individuals. The purpose is to aid the reproducibility of psychology research, and enhance transparency and open access of research findings.

Who has reviewed the study?
This study has been reviewed and approved by the Science Research Ethics Committee (SREC) of Edge Hill University, reference: ETH2122-0103.

What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
This is an online, computer-based questionnaire battery. There are generally no risks to taking part. You will not be penalized for opting out.

What are the possible benefits of taking part?
Your participation in this research will contribute to a unique and diverse dataset on individual differences in imagery abilities. This is a growing area of research extending into uncharted territory – who knows what we will discover? If you are interested to contribute to further research on this topic, or to explore your own imagery abilities more, please contact Dr Reshanne Reeder at reederr@edgehill.ac.uk.

Compensation
If you are a Psychology student at Edge Hill University, you will receive participation credits for your time. If you are taking part outside of the university, you will receive no compensation for your time.

Is there someone independent I can talk to about the research or ethics?
Professor Philip Murphy, murphyp@edgehill.ac.uk

Support
If you are thinking about suicide, please contact the Samaritans helpline within the UK: 116 123

International helplines can be found here:
https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
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