Dr Sam Matthews wrote:Hello, my name is Dr Sam Matthews and our team are carrying out a research study looking at childhood adversity, personality and threat response. The study is online (must be done on a laptop) and takes 20 minutes and involves a couple of questionnaires and a reaction time game. We are hoping to understand more about how adverse experiences in childhood can change how you view the world as an adult, particularly in terms of threat response. This study has received full ethical approval through the University of Reading ethics committee (ref: 2022-048-JR)
If you are interested in taking part, there is more detailed information and my contact details at the start should anyone have any questions.
Link for the study
Content of information sheet:
Adverse Childhood Experiences and response to threats
We would be grateful if you could assist us by participating in our online study.
The study is examining the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and their relationship to several psychological factors, including dimensions of personality and responses to threats.
In the experiment you will be asked to complete a response time task and then presented with several questionnaires asking whether you have experienced certain adverse experiences. You will then be asked about your attitudes towards authority and complete a shooter task which involves seeing people standing in a distance holding either a handgun, phone or wallet. You will be asked to press buttons on a keyboard to identify whether a target is a threat (holding a handgun) or not a threat (holding a phone or wallet). This test will be timed. The experiment should take no longer than 20 minutes.
To be eligible for the study, you need to be an adult, 18 years or older. Your data will be anonymous, confidential and securely stored, with only an anonymous number identifying it. Anonymised data collected from this study will be preserved and made available for re-use by others.
We foresee few risks during the experiment, but you will be presented with some negative images, such as people bearing firearms, which may evoke an emotional response. You will also be asked about adverse childhood experiences. This will be a checkbox exercise and you will not be asked to elaborate on these experiences. The study therefore has a mild risk of anxiety, sadness or other emotional reactions. To mitigate this, the study will conclude with a section asking you to recount a happy occasion in your life and we would encourage you to complete this section, although it is optional.
You may discontinue your participation at any time, without having to give any reason. Please feel free to ask any questions that you may have about this study at any point by contacting one of the researchers whose details are listed below. You will be given the opportunity at the end of the study to opt in to a prize draw for two £50 Love to Shop vouchers which can be used at most high street shops.
This application has been reviewed by the University Research Ethics Committee and has been given a favourable ethical opinion for conduct (2022-048-JR). This study will be used, in part, to fulfil the requirements for a Masters degree.
If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact:
Dr Jessica Rea: Email:
j.t.rea@reading.ac.uk, Tel: +44-(0)118-378-3947 or
Dr Sam Matthews: Email:
s.l.matthews@student.reading.ac.uk