Information Sheet for Participants 1. Invitation
You are invited to participate in a study aimed at understanding the effects of videogame features on game playing behaviour. The study is being completed as partial fulfillment of a Psychology Honours degree at the University of Tasmania by student researchers, James Thomas and Dylan Sault, under the supervision of
research supervisor, Dr. Jim Sauer.
2. What is the purpose of this study?
This study investigates how videogame features influence game-playing behaviour and experiences. However, the exact aims and hypotheses of this study will be withheld from you until the data collection process is complete. This is to ensure that knowledge of the study aims and hypotheses do not influence you or your responses during testing.
3. Why have I been invited to participate?
You may have been invited for a number of reasons. You may have been invited on the basis of your enrollment in the Bachelor of Psychology program at the University of Tasmania. Participation in this study will contribute to postgraduate students’ research projects, and contribute to first year student’s course credit. Your
participation in this study is entirely voluntary. There are no consequences should you chose not to participate. Should you choose to participate in this study but change your mind during your participation, you are able to withdraw at any time without penalty.
You may also be here because you responded to advertising placed around campus, or because your name is on a list of people who wish to be contacted about research participation opportunities.
In any case, your participation in this study is voluntary – you are entirely free to choose to participate or not, and there will be no consequences if you decide not to participate. If you do participate, any information you provide will be anonymous and no participants in the experiment will be individually identifiable.
What will I be asked to do?
Should you accept the invitation to participate, you will be asked to compete a short questionnaire regarding the frequency of your videogame play. Following this, you will be presented with detailed instructions for the videogame in this study, Knight’s Tour. Playing Knight’s Tour will involve you moving a square around a grid in the shape of a chess “Knight” (two blocks vertical and one block horizontal or vice versa) in an attempt to land on every square on the board no more than once. You will be asked to play the game for as long as you wish, after which time you will be asked to complete a secondary survey questionnaire regarding your experiences and perceptions of the videogame. The research will take place in the psychology department computer lab, and the entire process should take no longer than 50 minutes.
If you are a first year psychology student, you will receive participation credit for participating. Your participation will also provide you with experience in, and understanding of, the processes underlying scientific research. More generally, research findings will provide greater understanding of videogame design, and provide insight into the mechanisms and theory underlying videogame playing behaviours
5. Are there any possible risks from participation in this study?
There are no foreseeable risks or disadvantages associated with participating in this study.
6. What if I change my mind during or after the study?
That’s fine - you are free to withdraw from the study at any time, and without
providing an explanation. If you choose to withdraw during the study, your responses will be destroyed. If you complete the study, you will be able to withdraw your data if you choose to do so immediately following completion. Should you wish to withdraw at a later date, you will be able to do so by contacting the researchers and providing them with your identification code (provided on the debrief form after participation).
7. What will happen to the information when this study is over?
All data, including paper-based (e.g., consent forms) and electronic data (stored on password-protected hard drives) will be stored securely in the office of the research supervisor. All data will be stored anonymously, remain confidential, and be
accessible by the research supervisor and student investigators only. All data will be stored for a period of five years following thesis publication, after which will be destroyed.
8. How will the results of the study be published?
The results of the study will be published in an academic journal. Once the study has been completed, you will be able to access the results by visiting the website below:
http://www.utas.edu.au/psychology/research/research-project-reports
No individual participants will be identifiable in the publication of the results. 9. What if I have questions about this study?
If you have any questions about this study, please feel free to contact James Sauer via phone on (03) 6226 2051 or email: [email protected]
This study has been approved by the Tasmanian Social Sciences Human Research Ethics Committee. If you have concerns or complaints about the conduct of this study, please contact the Executive Officer of the HREC (Tasmania) Network on (03) 6226 7479 or email [email protected]. The Executive Officer is the person nominated to receive complaints from research participants. Please quote ethics reference number H0014954.
This information sheet is for you to keep. If you would like to participate in this study, please ask the researcher for a Consent Form to complete.
Appendix G
The Influence of Video Game Features on Video Game
Playing Behaviours
Participant Consent Form
1. I agree to take part in the research study named above.
2. I have read and understood the Information Sheet for this study. 3. The nature and possible effects of the study have been explained to me. 4. I understand that the study involves playing a videogame and then answering
questions about my gaming experience.
5. I understand that participation involves no foreseeable risks.
6. I understand that all research data will be securely stored on the University of Tasmania premises for five years from the publication of the study results, and will then be destroyed unless I give permission for my data to be archived.
I agree to have my study data archived. (Note that your data will be stored anonymously.)
Yes No
7. Any questions that I have asked have been answered to my satisfaction. 8. I understand that the researchers will maintain confidentiality and that any
information I supply to the researcher will be used only for the purposes of the research.
9. I understand that the results of the study will be published so that I cannot be identified as a participant.
10. I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I may withdraw at any time without any effect.
I understand that I will not be able to withdraw my data after completing the experiment as my data will be anonymous.
Participant’s name:
_______________________________________________________ Participant’s signature:
____________________________________________________ Date: ________________________
Statement by Investigator
I have explained the project and the implications of participation in it to this volunteer and I believe that the consent is informed and that he/she understands the implications of participation.
If the Investigator has not had an opportunity to talk to participants prior to them participating, the following must be ticked.
The participant has received the Information Sheet where my details have been provided so participants have had the opportunity to contact me prior to consenting to participate in this project. Investigator’s name:
_______________________________________________________ Investigator’s signature:
____________________________________________________ Date: ________________________
Appendix I