Outsider's Screener - Direct Entry

Disapproving Views of Romantic Relationships: Outsider's Perspective

Co-investigator, Dr. Diane Holmberg
diane.holmberg@acadiau.ca, Acadia University

Co-investigator, Dr. Karen Blair

kblair@stfx.ca, St. Francis Xavier University

Student Researcher, Nicole Tibbetts
nicoletibbetts@acadiau.ca, Acadia University

Student Researcher, Kay Jenson
kayjenson@acadiau.ca, Acadia University

Research Ethics Board Chair, Dr. Stephen Maitzen
smaitzen@acadiau.ca, Acadia University

You are being invited to participate in a research study about insiders’ versus outsiders’ views of romantic relationships. We are interested in learning more about how a person’s own perception of their friends’ or family members’ romantic relationship compares to the perceptions of those within the relationship. The objective of this research project is to attempt to understand how people give feedback to, and receive feedback from, their friends and family about different romantic relationships. Anyone who has a family member or friend whose relationship you disapprove of, even mildly, is welcome to participate. The questionnaire is being conducted online. This research project is being conducted by Dr. Diane Holmberg, Nicole Tibbetts, and Kay Jenson of Acadia University, and Dr. Karen Blair of St. Francis Xavier University, and is being funded by a SSHRC Insight Development Grant. Participants must be at least 18 years old.

What will I be asked to do?

In this study, you will be asked to provide some basic demographic information, such as age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and so on, as well as some information about the individual’s relationship, your experiences with giving feedback regarding the family member or friends’ romantic relationship, and actions you might or might not have taken based on your perceptions. Completing this questionnaire will take you approximately 20 to 60 minutes (depending on your responses to certain questions, you might skip some sections, or be asked to provide more detailed information in others, so it is hard to estimate precise completion times. Note you must complete the survey in one sitting, so be sure to choose a time when you have a full hour free to complete the study, just in case).

Are there any risks?

There are no known risks if you decide to participate in this research study, nor are there any costs to you for participating in the study. If thinking about experiences surrounding your family member or friends’ romantic relationship upsets you, please feel free to contact the Counselling Centre on campus at Acadia (Telephone: (902) 585-1246 or E-mail: counselling@acadiau.ca). Note that agreeing to this consent form does not waive your rights to legal recourse in the event that you experience any harm from this study. There are no conflicts of interest in conducting this study, and the data will not be used commercially in any way.

Is there any compensation?

By completing this survey, you will be entered into a monthly prize draw of $50 CAD. You will remain eligible for any future prize draws, as long as the study is running. There will also be the opportunity at the end of the study, if you wish, to invite the person about whom you are completing the study to take part. This person would not know anything about your opinions of their relationship. If this person contacts us, you will be entered into a prize draw for $500. If this person completes the study, you will each be paid $10.

How is my data stored?

This questionnaire stores its data on Survey Gizmo’s servers, which are housed in Canada. Although we take great care in keeping your data safe (e.g., secure servers, encrypted transmission), please be aware that any data sent electronically or stored online may be legally accessed by domestic or foreign authorities. Please note that all data submitted through a workplace computer is accessible by your employer. This survey is anonymous, and all data will be analyzed as a group, and presented in such a way that you are not individually identifiable We will ask you to provide an email address so that you may be contacted if you are invited to participate in any future studies. You may wish to use an e-mail address that does not contain any directly identifying information about you. If you agree to participate in follow up studies, we will keep the connection between your e-mail address and your data, to allow us to match the data up properly for future studies. Once all the follow-up studies are completed (we estimate approximately 3 years), we will delete your email address and your data will be fully anonymous.

Is my participation voluntary? How can I withdraw?

Your participation in this study is completely voluntary. If at any point you wish to withdraw from the study, simply exit the survey by closing your browser window. However, any partial data already entered on the previous pages cannot be removed from the dataset, as we will have no way of identifying your data.

Your data will be stored on a secure server, and only downloaded onto password-protected computers stored in locked offices. If you have any questions or concerns about completing the questionnaire or about being in this study, you may contact any of the researchers at the email addresses listed above.

1. If you have read and understood this form, had your questions answered to your satisfaction, and wish to participate in this study, please click the box below. This is equivalent to providing your signature. *This question is required.