LA RELACIÓN CON LA BIBLIOTECA
1 que trata de buscarle el lado amable.
Appendix 2: Information to participants for PILOT Experiment 1
Smoke Detector Alarm Study
INFORMATION TO PARTICIPANTS:
Researchers have found that the smoke detector alarm signal that is currently used in Australian homes fails to reliably awaken sleep deprived young adults. Added to this is information drawn from fire fatality statistics which shows that being under the influence of alcohol is the single most important risk factor for death in a fire. If you are aged between 18 and 25 years, drink alcohol on at least one night per week, and would consider yourself to be a deep sleeper, we would like to invite you to participate in a study being conducted by Professor Dorothy Bruck and PhD student Michelle Ball of Victoria University. The purpose of this study is to develop and test a new smoke detector alarm signal that is more successful in arousing people from sleep.
In order to study this we are asking that a research assistant be allowed into your home on three or four non-consecutive evenings to be arranged at your convenience. Before your usual bedtime the research assistant will apply several electrodes to the surface of your scalp and face. These electrodes will be attached by thin insulated wires to a battery operated data recorder that will send signals to a portable computer that will be monitored by the research assistant in a nearby room. The data recorder is light (300g) and compact and will be placed near the bedside, resulting in little discomfort. The purpose of the electrodes is to allow the level of activity within your brain to be monitored while you sleep. They will also allow muscle tone and eye movement to be monitored. It will be asked that you abstain from drinking alcohol on each day of testing, prior to the research conditions. It will also be asked that you are careful not to exceed your usual daily intake of caffeinated drinks (i.e. coffee, tea, soft drinks), and your usual daily consumption of cigarettes.
On all nights of testing an alarm will be sounded at between three and five separate times while you are sleeping. The signals will be the current smoke detector alarm signal, and several new and different signals. It is hoped that this will occur in the first half of the evening when you should be sleeping most deeply. Each alarm sound will begin at a low volume which will be slowly increased until it reaches a volume that awakens you, or until it has sounded at the highest level for three minutes without you responding. The highest level has been set at 95 decibels which is quite loud and may disturb the sleep of others in the home, but will not damage your hearing. On each occasion you will be required to press a button that will be placed next to your bed three times in order to
and third nights of testing, about 30 - 60 minutes prior to your usual bedtime, you will be asked to drink some alcohol. On one of these nights you will be administered enough drinks to result in a blood alcohol content of .05 (about 2 drinks for a female, and 3 for a male), and on the other enough drinks to result in a blood alcohol content of .08 (about 3½ drinks for a female, and 4½ for a male). Your blood alcohol content will be measured using a breathalyser, and the alcohol will be administered as spirits mixed with non- alcoholic drink, for example vodka mixed with orange juice. Your blood alcohol content will also be measured using the breathalyser on each occasion if/when you awaken during the testing. In order to protect your safety it is asked that you agree not to drive or use any potentially dangerous equipment for a period of 8 hours after drinking the
alcohol. For the same reason it will also be necessary to exclude from the study anyone who is taking regular medication that may interact with alcohol.
You will be paid $50.00 per night of participation in the study. Therefore, most participants will receive a total of $150.00 for taking part in testing across three nights. You may choose withdraw from the research at any time, however it should be noted that payment will be made only to those who complete the research protocol for ALL THREE NIGHTS. Payment will be made upon the completion of testing on the third night. Those who take part in the pilot testing will receive an additional $50.00 for the extra night, which may be paid to them at the completion of testing on that night. Please contact Michelle Ball, telephone 9365-2385 to register your interest in participation or if you have any questions at all regarding the study.
It is of vital importance for the whole community that a new smoke detector alarm signal be developed which will be more reliable in awakening those groups that are at high risk for death in a fire.