Behavioural Study: Exploring the development of adaptive learning, decision making and semantic processing primary school children and adults.
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The University of York is conducting a research project led by Dr MaryAnn Noonan. The study is investigating how decision-making strategies change with age, depend on social influence and may be influenced by our mental health.
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Please find the participant information and consent questions below:
INFORMATION SHEET FOR PARENTS / GUARDIAN
Ethics Approval Reference: 202553
It is important to be aware of the information that is provided by the Department of Psychology about the general terms and conditions that apply with respect to the processing of personal data. Please consult: https://uoy.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/PsySharedDocs/pages/40798645/Key+information+about+UK+GDPR
Summary
Researchers at the University of York, Nicoleta Gavrila, Florence Stow (under the supervision of Drs MaryAnn Noonan, Kenji Kobayashi, and Becky Jackson), would like to invite you to allow your child to take part in the following research project. Before agreeing to take part, please read this information sheet carefully and let us know if anything is unclear or you would like further information. Please note that if, in the course of our study, we discover something that raises concerns about your child’s safety or the safety of others, we are obliged to seek further expert help and advice.
The development of learning and decision-making strategies is essential for understanding how people explore the world from childhood into adulthood, and how people approach new learning situations. Learning new information also depends on thinking about different rules and being able to apply these rules depending on the context and goals.
How these learning processes develop plays a pivotal role in shaping how adults and young people engage with school, work, and social life, as well as their mental well-being. Despite this critical role, how these mechanisms operate in everyday life, how they mature and their role in healthy development are poorly understood.
The current research is looking to understand how these different learning strategies develop in children, how they develop alongside other behaviours and cognitive functions, such as working memory or reasoning ability, and how they are related to educational, behavioural and mental health measures.
What is the purpose of the study?
The study is designed to investigate decision-making, learning and conceptual processing. We aim to study how these change over development (from 3-4 years old/pre-school to 10-11 years old/Year 6, and how this compares to adulthood). The study will also examine the relationships between learning and decision-making mechanisms, individual behavioural and traits of mental well-being.
The study will involve:
Children completing up to four games on laptops,
Children will complete one paper-based questionnaire about worries; this applies only if your child is in Year 3, 4, 5, or 6; if your child is in pre-school, reception, Year 1 or Year 2 a version of this questionnaire will be filled in by the class teacher.
The class teacher will complete a brief questionnaire about behaviour in the class and a general summary of the school performance for each child, for all classes.
Why is my child being invited to take part?
The invitation relates to a research project that depends on testing children aged 3 to 11 years old.
Do I have to agree to allow my child to be tested?
No, participation is optional. You can express that you do not wish for your child to take part in the study by opting out (signing and returning the attached opt-out form). You can choose whether your child does not participate in the computer-based tasks, the questionnaires, or the entire study.
Your school’s headteacher has given consent for the school to take part. At the start of the study, we will also explain the study to your child and invite them to participate by asking them to assent to take part in the study. They can decline to participate or stop at any time during the study without having to tell us why.
If your child is not participating in all or part of the study, they will either complete additional similar activities (with no data stored) or the class teacher can provide school work for them; this will be at the teacher’s discretion. In this case neither they nor the teacher will complete the questionnaires.
For a maximum of a week, the data collected could be linked to your child, as the first name and one or two letters from their second name will be collected to link together the tasks completed by the children with the questionnaire filled out by the teacher. During this time, if you wish to withdraw your child’s data you can do so by contacting the research team. After one week, the data will be anonymised and it will no longer be possible to link it with your child. Therefore, we will not be able to remove your child’s data after this stage.
What will my child be asked to do?
One of the games will involve choosing one of three images and will last approximately 10 minutes. According to your child’s choice, they may gain points that they are aiming to collect during the game. The second game will involve matching pictures based on colour or their overall relationship (e.g., dog with bone) and will last approximately 20 minutes. The images will either be pictures of familiar items (e.g. animals, food, household objects) or shapes with different features and patterns. The third game will involve repeating patterns of lit-up blocks on a computer screen (5-10 minutes). The last game will ask them to choose a missing piece to complete visual patterns of different shapes and colours (15 minutes).
The games will be followed by a short 5 minute questionnaire which asks about experiences, traits and behaviours of everyday worrying that naturally vary in the general population (for example: I would feel scared if I had to stay away from home overnight: Never/Sometimes/Often/Always”). The questionnaires will not be used as a clinical assessment or diagnosis. For children in year 3 to year 6, they will read each simple sentence and choose how much they agree or disagree with that statement. For children in reception to year 2, the teachers will complete this questionnaire for each child. If you think it might negatively impact your child to ask them about their worries , please opt them out of this part of the study. They are also free to stop taking part at any time before completion without providing a reason.
Teachers will complete an additional questionnaire on school performance and behaviour (for example: “Has difficulty waiting his or her turn: Never/Occasionally/Often/Very often”) in order to investigate whether the reliance on different learning and decision-making strategies is linked with more general behaviour and school performance.
The questionnaires can be found on the research team’s website: https://www.devneurolab.com/participate.html
Children can participate in all the sections of the study or just part of it. You can return the opt-out form and indicate which parts of the study you do not wish your child to complete.
Additionally, we will ask each child their age, gender and handedness. No individual feedback will be given for taking part in this study.
Children will receive a sticker and/or stationery as a thank-you token and will receive a verbal debrief at the end of the study (a further discussion about the study).
Where will the research sessions take place?
Testing will take place at school. Every effort will be made to ensure that the research sessions are as enjoyable and relaxed as possible for the children. The total testing time should not exceed 60 minutes, which includes time for breaks.
Who will run the testing sessions?
All researchers attending the sessions have Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly, Criminal Records Bureau, CRB) clearance for working with children. Nicoleta Gavrila, Florence Stow and additional research students will meet with and test the children taking part.
Will you share my child’s data with 3rd parties?
No personal data will be shared with 3rd parties.
We are collecting the following types of personal data (namely, data that could identify who your child is): Some personal data (namely, data that could identify who the children are) will be collected and stored securely. To be able to link the scores on the laptop games with the teacher’s report, we will collect your child’s first name and the first two letters of their surname. After the testing is finished, the data (including personal data) will be stored in a locked cabinet in the Department of Psychology. During this time, it will be possible to remove your child’s data from the study should you request this. Within one week of testing, the results will be fully anonymised. The data we store and analyse for this study will not contain any personal data. Any paper files with personal data will be destroyed via confidential waste management. After this stage, no research and personal data will be able to be linked, and therefore cannot be removed from the study.
Our research group is committed to open research practices, which includes sharing research data through public repositories such as the Open Science Framework. This way, the child’s anonymised data will be shared publicly with others. Anonymised data may also be reused by the research team or other third parties for secondary research and/or teaching purposes. We will never share any personal data (e.g. names) and the research data shared will not be able to identify the child. When data are shared, they can be accessed by other people who might use them for other research questions that are not known to us. Please only take part in the study if you agree with this.
Anonymised data may be reused by the research team or other third parties for secondary research and/or teaching purposes.
Will you transfer the data internationally?
We are not storing any personal data. Anonymised data might be shared internationally, as explained in the previous section.
Will my child be identified in any research outputs?
No. Your child’s study data will be analysed to answer our research questions and will be used in research outputs. This can include presentations and publications in scientific journals as well as other types of verbal or written outputs. Your child cannot be identified based on these outputs.
Questions or concerns
If you have any questions about this information sheet or concerns about how your child’s data is being processed, please contact Dr. MaryAnn Noonan or Dr Rebecca Jackson in the first instance. This project received ethics approval from the Ethics Committee in the Department of Psychology at the University of York. If you have any questions you would like to ask the chair of the ethics committee (currently Dr Angela de Bruin), please contact [email protected]. If you are still dissatisfied, please contact the University’s Acting Data Protection Officer at [email protected]. Contact Details: Dr. MaryAnn Noonan, Department of Psychology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, Phone: 01904 321037, Email: [email protected]
Dr. Rebecca Jackson, Department of Psychology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, Phone: 01904 321037, Email: [email protected]
Questionnaires for KS2 children to answer
Questionnaire 1 for teachers to answer for KS1 children
Questionnaire 2 for teachers to answer for all children
It is important to be aware of the information that is provided by the Department of Psychology about the general terms and conditions that apply with respect to the processing of personal data. Please consult: https://uoy.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/PsySharedDocs/pages/40798645/Key+information+about+UK+GDPR
Summary
Researchers at the University of York, Nicoleta Gavrila, Florence Stow (under the supervision of Drs MaryAnn Noonan, Kenji Kobayashi, and Becky Jackson), would like to invite you to allow your child to take part in the following research project. Before agreeing to take part, please read this information sheet carefully and let us know if anything is unclear or you would like further information. Please note that if, in the course of our study, we discover something that raises concerns about your child’s safety or the safety of others, we are obliged to seek further expert help and advice.
The development of learning and decision-making strategies is essential for understanding how people explore the world from childhood into adulthood, and how people approach new learning situations. Learning new information also depends on thinking about different rules and being able to apply these rules depending on the context and goals.
How these learning processes develop plays a pivotal role in shaping how adults and young people engage with school, work, and social life, as well as their mental well-being. Despite this critical role, how these mechanisms operate in everyday life, how they mature and their role in healthy development are poorly understood.
The current research is looking to understand how these different learning strategies develop in children, how they develop alongside other behaviours and cognitive functions, such as working memory or reasoning ability, and how they are related to educational, behavioural and mental health measures.
What is the purpose of the study?
The study is designed to investigate decision-making, learning and conceptual processing. We aim to study how these change over development (from 3-4 years old/pre-school to 10-11 years old/Year 6, and how this compares to adulthood). The study will also examine the relationships between learning and decision-making mechanisms, individual behavioural and traits of mental well-being.
The study will involve:
Children completing up to four games on laptops,
Children will complete one paper-based questionnaire about worries; this applies only if your child is in Year 3, 4, 5, or 6; if your child is in pre-school, reception, Year 1 or Year 2 a version of this questionnaire will be filled in by the class teacher.
The class teacher will complete a brief questionnaire about behaviour in the class and a general summary of the school performance for each child, for all classes.
Why is my child being invited to take part?
The invitation relates to a research project that depends on testing children aged 3 to 11 years old.
Do I have to agree to allow my child to be tested?
No, participation is optional. You can express that you do not wish for your child to take part in the study by opting out (signing and returning the attached opt-out form). You can choose whether your child does not participate in the computer-based tasks, the questionnaires, or the entire study.
Your school’s headteacher has given consent for the school to take part. At the start of the study, we will also explain the study to your child and invite them to participate by asking them to assent to take part in the study. They can decline to participate or stop at any time during the study without having to tell us why.
If your child is not participating in all or part of the study, they will either complete additional similar activities (with no data stored) or the class teacher can provide school work for them; this will be at the teacher’s discretion. In this case neither they nor the teacher will complete the questionnaires.
For a maximum of a week, the data collected could be linked to your child, as the first name and one or two letters from their second name will be collected to link together the tasks completed by the children with the questionnaire filled out by the teacher. During this time, if you wish to withdraw your child’s data you can do so by contacting the research team. After one week, the data will be anonymised and it will no longer be possible to link it with your child. Therefore, we will not be able to remove your child’s data after this stage.
What will my child be asked to do?
One of the games will involve choosing one of three images and will last approximately 10 minutes. According to your child’s choice, they may gain points that they are aiming to collect during the game. The second game will involve matching pictures based on colour or their overall relationship (e.g., dog with bone) and will last approximately 20 minutes. The images will either be pictures of familiar items (e.g. animals, food, household objects) or shapes with different features and patterns. The third game will involve repeating patterns of lit-up blocks on a computer screen (5-10 minutes). The last game will ask them to choose a missing piece to complete visual patterns of different shapes and colours (15 minutes).
The games will be followed by a short 5 minute questionnaire which asks about experiences, traits and behaviours of everyday worrying that naturally vary in the general population (for example: I would feel scared if I had to stay away from home overnight: Never/Sometimes/Often/Always”). The questionnaires will not be used as a clinical assessment or diagnosis. For children in year 3 to year 6, they will read each simple sentence and choose how much they agree or disagree with that statement. For children in reception to year 2, the teachers will complete this questionnaire for each child. If you think it might negatively impact your child to ask them about their worries , please opt them out of this part of the study. They are also free to stop taking part at any time before completion without providing a reason.
Teachers will complete an additional questionnaire on school performance and behaviour (for example: “Has difficulty waiting his or her turn: Never/Occasionally/Often/Very often”) in order to investigate whether the reliance on different learning and decision-making strategies is linked with more general behaviour and school performance.
The questionnaires can be found on the research team’s website: https://www.devneurolab.com/participate.html
Children can participate in all the sections of the study or just part of it. You can return the opt-out form and indicate which parts of the study you do not wish your child to complete.
Additionally, we will ask each child their age, gender and handedness. No individual feedback will be given for taking part in this study.
Children will receive a sticker and/or stationery as a thank-you token and will receive a verbal debrief at the end of the study (a further discussion about the study).
Where will the research sessions take place?
Testing will take place at school. Every effort will be made to ensure that the research sessions are as enjoyable and relaxed as possible for the children. The total testing time should not exceed 60 minutes, which includes time for breaks.
Who will run the testing sessions?
All researchers attending the sessions have Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly, Criminal Records Bureau, CRB) clearance for working with children. Nicoleta Gavrila, Florence Stow and additional research students will meet with and test the children taking part.
Will you share my child’s data with 3rd parties?
No personal data will be shared with 3rd parties.
We are collecting the following types of personal data (namely, data that could identify who your child is): Some personal data (namely, data that could identify who the children are) will be collected and stored securely. To be able to link the scores on the laptop games with the teacher’s report, we will collect your child’s first name and the first two letters of their surname. After the testing is finished, the data (including personal data) will be stored in a locked cabinet in the Department of Psychology. During this time, it will be possible to remove your child’s data from the study should you request this. Within one week of testing, the results will be fully anonymised. The data we store and analyse for this study will not contain any personal data. Any paper files with personal data will be destroyed via confidential waste management. After this stage, no research and personal data will be able to be linked, and therefore cannot be removed from the study.
Our research group is committed to open research practices, which includes sharing research data through public repositories such as the Open Science Framework. This way, the child’s anonymised data will be shared publicly with others. Anonymised data may also be reused by the research team or other third parties for secondary research and/or teaching purposes. We will never share any personal data (e.g. names) and the research data shared will not be able to identify the child. When data are shared, they can be accessed by other people who might use them for other research questions that are not known to us. Please only take part in the study if you agree with this.
Anonymised data may be reused by the research team or other third parties for secondary research and/or teaching purposes.
Will you transfer the data internationally?
We are not storing any personal data. Anonymised data might be shared internationally, as explained in the previous section.
Will my child be identified in any research outputs?
No. Your child’s study data will be analysed to answer our research questions and will be used in research outputs. This can include presentations and publications in scientific journals as well as other types of verbal or written outputs. Your child cannot be identified based on these outputs.
Questions or concerns
If you have any questions about this information sheet or concerns about how your child’s data is being processed, please contact Dr. MaryAnn Noonan or Dr Rebecca Jackson in the first instance. This project received ethics approval from the Ethics Committee in the Department of Psychology at the University of York. If you have any questions you would like to ask the chair of the ethics committee (currently Dr Angela de Bruin), please contact [email protected]. If you are still dissatisfied, please contact the University’s Acting Data Protection Officer at [email protected]. Contact Details: Dr. MaryAnn Noonan, Department of Psychology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, Phone: 01904 321037, Email: [email protected]
Dr. Rebecca Jackson, Department of Psychology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, Phone: 01904 321037, Email: [email protected]
Questionnaires for KS2 children to answer
| Question | Never | Sometimes | Often | Always |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I worry about things. | I would feel afraid of being on my own at home. | I feel afraid. | I would feel scared if I had to stay away from home overnight | I feel scared when I have to take a test. | I worry about being away from my parents. | I feel happy | I worry that I will do badly at my schoolwork. | I feel afraid that I will make a fool of myself in front of people. | I worry that something awful will happen to someone in my family | I can’t seem to get bad or silly thoughts out of my head | I have to do some things over and over again (like washing my hands, cleaning or putting things in a certain order). | I am proud of my schoolwork | When I have a problem, my heart beats really fast | I worry that I will suddenly get a scared feeling for no reason. | I have trouble going to school in the mornings because I feel nervous or afraid | I have to do some things in just the right way to stop bad things. | I feel scared if I have to sleep on my own | I have trouble going to school in the mornings because I feel nervous or afraid | I am a good person |
Questionnaire 1 for teachers to answer for KS1 children
| Question | Never | Sometimes | Often | Always |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worries about things. | Worries about being away from his/her parents. | Feels afraid that (s)he will make a fool of himself/herself in front of people. | Worries that (s)he will do badly at school. | Has trouble going to school in the mornings because (s)he feels nervous or afraid.. | Suddenly starts to tremble or shake when there is no reason for this. | Worries that something bad will happen to him/her. | All of a sudden feels really scared for no reason at all. | Has to do some things over and over again (like washing his / her hands, cleaning or putting things in a certain order). | Has to keep checking that (s)he has done things right (like the switch is off, or the door is locked) |
Questionnaire 2 for teachers to answer for all children
| Question | Never | Occasionally | Often | Very often |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does not pay attention to details or makes careless mistakes, for example, with homework. | Has difficulty keeping attention to what needs to be done. | Does not seem to listen when spoken to directly. | Does not follow through when given directions and fails to finish activities. | Has difficulty organising tasks and activities. | Avoids, dislikes, or does not want to start tasks that require ongoing mental effort. | Loses things necessary for tasks or activities (toys, assignments, pencils, etc.). | Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli. | Is forgetful in daily activities. | Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in the seat | Leaves the seat when remaining seated is expected | Runs about or climbs excessively in situations when remaining seated is expected | Has difficulty playing or beginning quiet play activities | Is “on the go” or often acts as if “driven by a motor” | Talks too much | Blurts out answers before questions have been completed | Has difficulty waiting for his or her turn | Interrupts or intrudes on others' conversations and/or activities |
| Performance Area | Excellent | Above Average | Average | Somewhat Problematic | Problematic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | Mathematics | Written expression | Relationship with peers | Following directions | Disrupting class | Assignment completion | Organizational skills |
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INFORMATION SHEET FOR PARTICIPANTS AGED 18 YEARS +
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Ethics Approval Reference: 202553
It is important to be aware of the information that is provided by the Department of Psychology about the general terms and conditions that apply with respect to the processing of personal data. Please consult our departmental privacy notice https://uoy.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/PsySharedDocs/pages/40798645/Key+information+about+UK+GDPR
Summary
Researchers at the University of York, Nicoleta Gavrila, Florence Stow, (under the supervision of Drs MaryAnn Noonan, Kenji Kobayashi, and Becky Jackson), would like to invite you to take part in the following research project. Before agreeing to take part, please read this information sheet carefully and let us know if anything is unclear or you would like further information.
The development of learning and decision-making strategies is essential for understanding how people explore the world from childhood into adulthood, and how people approach new learning situations. Learning new information also depends on thinking about different rules and being able to apply these rules depending on the context and goals.
How these learning processes develop plays a pivotal role in shaping how adults and young people engage with school, work, and social life, as well as their mental well-being. Despite this critical role, how these mechanisms operate in everyday life, how they mature and their role in healthy development are poorly understood.
The current research is looking to understand how these different learning strategies develop in children and how they look later in adults, how they develop alongside other behaviours and cognitive functions, such as working memory or reasoning ability, and how they are related to educational, behavioural and mental health measures.
What is the purpose of the study?
The study is designed to investigate decision-making, learning and conceptual processing. We aim to study how these change over development (from 3-4 years old/pre-school to 10-11 years old/Year 6, and compare this to adulthood). The study will also examine the relationships between learning and decision-making mechanisms, individual behavioural and traits of mental wellbeing.
The study involves completing up to four computer-based tasks and up to two paper-based questionnaires.
The four games you would be asked to complete are:
- Learn and gain game: will involve choosing from one image out of three and will last approximately 10 minutes. According to your choice, you may gain points or not. The aim is to collect as many points as possible. The points collected in the task are not linked to the compensation for taking part in the study (1 credit)
- Concepts game: will involve matching pictures based on either colour or the overall relationship between items, and will last approximately 20 minutes. The images will either be pictures of familiar items, objects and animals (e.g. animals, food, household objects) or shapes with different features and patterns. No feedback is provided.
- Blocks game: will involve reproducing patterns of lit up blocks on a computer screen (5-10 minutes). No feedback provided.
- Matching game: will ask you to choose a missing piece to complete visual patterns of different shapes and colours (15 minutes). No feedback will be provided during this game.
Following the computer games, you might be asked to complete two questionnaires, depending on which condition you will take part (e.g. pilot or full study):
- a questionnaire on general worries
- a retrospective childhood behaviour questionnaire which will ask questions about the ability to complete tasks, temper in school and moods.
Additionally, we will ask you to fill in demographic information about your age, gender and handedness.
This study uses a questionnaire that asks about your mental wellbeing and a behavioural questionnaire in order to investigate if the reliance on different learning strategies and decision-making mechanisms is linked with differences in mental health and behavioural experiences. These questionnaires include questions such as “I suddenly feel as if I can´t breathe when there is no reason for this” or “As a child I was (or had): [1]disobedient with parents, rebellious, sassy; [2] sad or blue, depressed, unhappy”. If you think these questions might negatively affect you, please do not take part in this study. You are also free to stop the study at any time before completion without providing a reason.
The questionnaires used assess experiences/traits/behaviours that naturally vary in the general population, and these questionnaires cannot be used as a clinical assessment or diagnosis.
The study will take about 60 minutes to complete.
Why have I been invited to take part?
You have been invited to participate because you are 18 years or older and a Psychology student at the University of York.
Additionally, please only take part if you can comfortably use a touchscreen laptop, as this is how our games will be presented.
Do I have to take part?
No, participation is optional. If you do decide to take part, you will be given a printed version of this information sheet and the option to download a copy of this information sheet through the following link: https://shorturl.at/6hm5w.
You will be asked to complete a participant consent form. If you change your mind at any point during the study, you will be able to withdraw your participation without having to provide a reason.
You can withdraw at any time before study completion by informing the researcher leading the session. Data will be stored anonymously. We are therefore not able to remove your responses after study completion.
Will you share my data with 3rd parties?
SONA IDs are collected temporarily to process the reimbursement (1 credit). These will be deleted a week after the testing was completed and the credit assigned.
No personal data (namely, data that could identify who you are) is collected in the study. At the beginning of the testing session you will be allocated a random ID that will not be linked with any identifiable information.
Our research group is committed to open research practices, which includes sharing research data through public repositories such as the Open Science Framework. This way, your anonymised data will be shared publicly with others. Anonymised data may also be reused by the research team or other third parties for secondary research and/or teaching purposes. We will never share any personal data and the data shared will not be able to identify you. When data are shared, they can be accessed by other people who might use them for other research questions that are not known to us. Please only take part in the study if you agree with this.
Anonymised data may be reused by the research team or other third parties for secondary research and/or teaching purposes.
Will you transfer my data internationally?
Anonymised data might be shared internationally, as explained in the previous section.
Will I be identified in any research outputs?
Your data will be analysed to answer our research questions and will be used to create research outputs. This can include presentations and publications in scientific journals as well as other types of verbal or written outputs. You cannot be identified in or based on these outputs.
Recompense
To recompense you for taking part in this research, you will be assigned 1 hour of course credit.
To receive 1 credit, you must register for the study via SONA. Your SONA details will be processed by the research team only to facilitate communication regarding the testing session. This data will be deleted within a week of the testing date. The SONA data are not linked to the study data.
Questions or concerns
If you have any questions about this participant information sheet or concerns about how your data is being processed, please contact MaryAnn Noonan at [email protected] or Rebecca Jackson at [email protected] in the first instance. This project received ethics approval from the Ethics Committee in the Department of Psychology at the University of York. If you have any questions you would like to ask the chair of the ethics committee (currently Dr Angela de Bruin), please contact [email protected]. If you are still dissatisfied, please contact the University’s Acting Data Protection Officer at [email protected].
Supervisors Contact Details:
MaryAnn Noonan, Phone: 01904 321037, E-mail: [email protected]
Rebecca Jackson, Phone: 01904 325264, E-mail: [email protected]
Department of Psychology, The University of York, York, YO10 5DD
Sources of support
If you have any questions or concerns related to your mental health, you can refer to the sources of support below. Your GP
For students at the University of York, there are several sources of support available (please click on the name to open the link):
Your personal supervisor Open Door (a team of Mental Health Practitioners) The university’s general health advice website has a lot of information and resources about mental health
York SU (Students' Union) | [email protected] | 01904 32 3724
Other sources of support outside the University of York are:
Health Watch York provides information about local health services in York and how to access them.
Samaritans (call 116 123)
NHS Mental health services
Shout (text SHOUT to 85258, see Shout website for more information)
SANEline (call 0300 304 7000)
Mind
It is important to be aware of the information that is provided by the Department of Psychology about the general terms and conditions that apply with respect to the processing of personal data. Please consult our departmental privacy notice https://uoy.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/PsySharedDocs/pages/40798645/Key+information+about+UK+GDPR
Summary
Researchers at the University of York, Nicoleta Gavrila, Florence Stow, (under the supervision of Drs MaryAnn Noonan, Kenji Kobayashi, and Becky Jackson), would like to invite you to take part in the following research project. Before agreeing to take part, please read this information sheet carefully and let us know if anything is unclear or you would like further information.
The development of learning and decision-making strategies is essential for understanding how people explore the world from childhood into adulthood, and how people approach new learning situations. Learning new information also depends on thinking about different rules and being able to apply these rules depending on the context and goals.
How these learning processes develop plays a pivotal role in shaping how adults and young people engage with school, work, and social life, as well as their mental well-being. Despite this critical role, how these mechanisms operate in everyday life, how they mature and their role in healthy development are poorly understood.
The current research is looking to understand how these different learning strategies develop in children and how they look later in adults, how they develop alongside other behaviours and cognitive functions, such as working memory or reasoning ability, and how they are related to educational, behavioural and mental health measures.
What is the purpose of the study?
The study is designed to investigate decision-making, learning and conceptual processing. We aim to study how these change over development (from 3-4 years old/pre-school to 10-11 years old/Year 6, and compare this to adulthood). The study will also examine the relationships between learning and decision-making mechanisms, individual behavioural and traits of mental wellbeing.
The study involves completing up to four computer-based tasks and up to two paper-based questionnaires.
The four games you would be asked to complete are:
- Learn and gain game: will involve choosing from one image out of three and will last approximately 10 minutes. According to your choice, you may gain points or not. The aim is to collect as many points as possible. The points collected in the task are not linked to the compensation for taking part in the study (1 credit)
- Concepts game: will involve matching pictures based on either colour or the overall relationship between items, and will last approximately 20 minutes. The images will either be pictures of familiar items, objects and animals (e.g. animals, food, household objects) or shapes with different features and patterns. No feedback is provided.
- Blocks game: will involve reproducing patterns of lit up blocks on a computer screen (5-10 minutes). No feedback provided.
- Matching game: will ask you to choose a missing piece to complete visual patterns of different shapes and colours (15 minutes). No feedback will be provided during this game.
Following the computer games, you might be asked to complete two questionnaires, depending on which condition you will take part (e.g. pilot or full study):
- a questionnaire on general worries
- a retrospective childhood behaviour questionnaire which will ask questions about the ability to complete tasks, temper in school and moods.
Additionally, we will ask you to fill in demographic information about your age, gender and handedness.
This study uses a questionnaire that asks about your mental wellbeing and a behavioural questionnaire in order to investigate if the reliance on different learning strategies and decision-making mechanisms is linked with differences in mental health and behavioural experiences. These questionnaires include questions such as “I suddenly feel as if I can´t breathe when there is no reason for this” or “As a child I was (or had): [1]disobedient with parents, rebellious, sassy; [2] sad or blue, depressed, unhappy”. If you think these questions might negatively affect you, please do not take part in this study. You are also free to stop the study at any time before completion without providing a reason.
The questionnaires used assess experiences/traits/behaviours that naturally vary in the general population, and these questionnaires cannot be used as a clinical assessment or diagnosis.
The study will take about 60 minutes to complete.
Why have I been invited to take part?
You have been invited to participate because you are 18 years or older and a Psychology student at the University of York.
Additionally, please only take part if you can comfortably use a touchscreen laptop, as this is how our games will be presented.
Do I have to take part?
No, participation is optional. If you do decide to take part, you will be given a printed version of this information sheet and the option to download a copy of this information sheet through the following link: https://shorturl.at/6hm5w.
You will be asked to complete a participant consent form. If you change your mind at any point during the study, you will be able to withdraw your participation without having to provide a reason.
You can withdraw at any time before study completion by informing the researcher leading the session. Data will be stored anonymously. We are therefore not able to remove your responses after study completion.
Will you share my data with 3rd parties?
SONA IDs are collected temporarily to process the reimbursement (1 credit). These will be deleted a week after the testing was completed and the credit assigned.
No personal data (namely, data that could identify who you are) is collected in the study. At the beginning of the testing session you will be allocated a random ID that will not be linked with any identifiable information.
Our research group is committed to open research practices, which includes sharing research data through public repositories such as the Open Science Framework. This way, your anonymised data will be shared publicly with others. Anonymised data may also be reused by the research team or other third parties for secondary research and/or teaching purposes. We will never share any personal data and the data shared will not be able to identify you. When data are shared, they can be accessed by other people who might use them for other research questions that are not known to us. Please only take part in the study if you agree with this.
Anonymised data may be reused by the research team or other third parties for secondary research and/or teaching purposes.
Will you transfer my data internationally?
Anonymised data might be shared internationally, as explained in the previous section.
Will I be identified in any research outputs?
Your data will be analysed to answer our research questions and will be used to create research outputs. This can include presentations and publications in scientific journals as well as other types of verbal or written outputs. You cannot be identified in or based on these outputs.
Recompense
To recompense you for taking part in this research, you will be assigned 1 hour of course credit.
To receive 1 credit, you must register for the study via SONA. Your SONA details will be processed by the research team only to facilitate communication regarding the testing session. This data will be deleted within a week of the testing date. The SONA data are not linked to the study data.
Questions or concerns
If you have any questions about this participant information sheet or concerns about how your data is being processed, please contact MaryAnn Noonan at [email protected] or Rebecca Jackson at [email protected] in the first instance. This project received ethics approval from the Ethics Committee in the Department of Psychology at the University of York. If you have any questions you would like to ask the chair of the ethics committee (currently Dr Angela de Bruin), please contact [email protected]. If you are still dissatisfied, please contact the University’s Acting Data Protection Officer at [email protected].
Supervisors Contact Details:
MaryAnn Noonan, Phone: 01904 321037, E-mail: [email protected]
Rebecca Jackson, Phone: 01904 325264, E-mail: [email protected]
Department of Psychology, The University of York, York, YO10 5DD
Sources of support
If you have any questions or concerns related to your mental health, you can refer to the sources of support below. Your GP
For students at the University of York, there are several sources of support available (please click on the name to open the link):
Your personal supervisor Open Door (a team of Mental Health Practitioners) The university’s general health advice website has a lot of information and resources about mental health
York SU (Students' Union) | [email protected] | 01904 32 3724
Other sources of support outside the University of York are:
Health Watch York provides information about local health services in York and how to access them.
Samaritans (call 116 123)
NHS Mental health services
Shout (text SHOUT to 85258, see Shout website for more information)
SANEline (call 0300 304 7000)
Mind
INFORMATION SHEET FOR HEAD TEACHERS
Ethics Approval Reference: 202553
This document explains why we are doing this research project and sets out what will be involved for the school and the children. We will also provide copies of the information and consent forms that we would like to issue to parents/guardians of the children.
Please note that if, in the course of our study, we discover something that raises concerns about the children’s safety or the safety of others, we are obliged to seek further expert help and advice.
It is important to be aware of the information that is provided by the Department of Psychology about the general terms and conditions that apply with respect to the processing of personal data. Please consult: https://wiki.york.ac.uk/display/PsySharedDocs/Key+information+about+GDPR
Summary
Researchers at the University of York, Nicoleta Gavrila, Florence Stow, (under the supervision of Drs MaryAnn Noonan, Kenji Kobayashi, and Becky Jackson) would like to invite you to allow children at your school to take part in the following research project.
Before agreeing to take part, please read this information sheet carefully and let us know if anything is unclear or you would like further information.
The development of learning and decision-making strategies is essential for understanding how people explore the world from childhood into adulthood, and how people approach new learning situations. Learning new information also depends on thinking about different rules and being able to apply these rules depending on the context and goals.
How these learning processes develop plays a pivotal role in shaping how adults and young people engage with school, work, and social life, as well as their mental well-being. Despite this critical role, how these mechanisms operate in everyday life, how they mature and their role in healthy development are poorly understood.
The current research is looking to understand how these different learning strategies develop in children, how they develop alongside other behaviours and cognitive functions, such as working memory or reasoning ability, and how they are related to educational, behavioural and mental health measures.
What is the purpose of the study?
The study is designed to investigate decision-making, learning and conceptual processing. We aim to study how these change over development (from 3-4 years old/pre-school to 10-11 years old/Year 6, and into adulthood). The study will also examine the relationships between learning and decision-making mechanisms, individual behavioural and traits of well-being traits.
The study will involve:
Children completing up to four games on laptops,
Children completing one paper-based questionnaire about worries (only for children in Year 3, 4, 5, or 6; for children in pre-school, reception, Year 1 or Year 2 a version of this questionnaire will be filled by the class teacher).
The class teacher completing a brief questionnaire about behaviour in the class and a general summary of the school performance for each child.
What sort of children are we seeking to involve?
This request relates to a research project that depends on testing children in all the years from pre-school, EYFS to Year 6.
While we are looking to involve all the classes in the school, you may consent to participation on a class-by-class basis rather than for the whole school. We consider that participation remains at the discretion of both you and each class teacher.
Who will give consent for a child to take part?
Consent from parents/carers will be gained via opt-out forms for their child and children will verbally assent to taking part (see attached forms). It will be made clear that the study is entirely voluntary and, even having given consent, any child is free to stop participating at any time without giving a reason. We also need your consent (as the headteacher) to proceed with the study, and similarly, you can withdraw your school from participation at any time before or during data collection.
What will the children be asked to do?
The children will play four short games on the laptops that the researchers will bring. Older children will then answer a wellbeing questionnaire about children’s tendency to feel worried/anxious, either independently for those who can read fluently or with help from the research team. Teachers will complete these forms for the younger children. Teachers will then answer a brief questionnaire about children’s behaviour and a summary (tick box) on school performance for all participating children. The questionnaires can be found in a separate file that was sent along with this information sheet.
We will take every care to reduce to a minimum any foreseeable disruption to the school routine. We will need:
A maximum of one hour (includes set-up time) with the whole class for children Year 3 - Year 6
Several slots of a maximum 1 hour for small groups testing for children in Year 1 and Year 2 over 1-2 weeks
Several slots of 30 minutes for one-to-one testing for children in EYFS and pre-school, 3-4 weeks
Every effort will be made to ensure that the research sessions are as enjoyable and relaxed as possible for the children. The total testing time should not exceed the times mentioned above (note this is different for each age group).
Children will receive a sticker and/or stationery, and each class will receive Amazon vouchers to be spent on resources for the class as a thank-you token. The study has two components: one completed by children and one completed by the teacher. For each component, a £15 voucher will be given (£30 in total if helping with both components).
Children who are not taking part because they were opted out by their parents or did not want to participate will be given the option to complete alternative activities, such as playing other games unrelated to our research (no data will be collected) or to complete their schoolwork; this will be at the teacher’s discretion.
Who will run the testing sessions?
All our researchers have Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly, Criminal Record Bureau, CRB) clearance for working with children. Nicoleta Gavrila and Florence Stow and additional research students will meet with and test the children taking part.
Will you share the children’s data with 3rd parties?
No personal data will be shared with 3rd parties.
We are collecting the following type of personal data (namely, data that could identify who the children are): Some personal data (namely, data that could identify who the children are) will be collected and stored securely. To be able to link the scores on the laptop games with the teacher’s report, we will collect the children’s first name and the first two letters of their surname. After the testing is finished, the data will be stored in a locked cabinet in the Department of Psychology. After data processing, the results will be fully anonymised, and the data we store and analyse for this study will not contain any personal data. Any paper files with personal data will be destroyed via confidential waste management.
Our research group is committed to open research practices, which includes sharing research data through public repositories such as the Open Science Framework. This way, the child’s anonymised data will be shared publicly with others. Anonymised data may also be reused by the research team or other third parties for secondary research and/or teaching purposes. We will never share any personal data and the data shared will not be able to identify the child. When data are shared, they can be accessed by other people who might use them for other research questions that are not known to us. Please only take part in the study if you agree with this.
Anonymised data may be reused by the research team or other third parties for secondary research and/or teaching purposes.
Will you transfer the data internationally?
We will not share any personal data internationally. Anonymised data might be shared internationally, as explained in the previous section.
Will the children be identified in any research outputs?
The children cannot be identified based on these outputs. The children’s study data will be analysed to answer our research questions and will be used in research outputs. This can include presentations and publications in scientific journals as well as other types of verbal or written outputs.
Questions or concerns
If you have any questions about this information sheet or concerns about how the children’s data is being processed, please contact Dr MaryAnn Noonan ([email protected]) or Dr Rebecca Jackson ([email protected]) in the first instance. This project received ethics approval from the Ethics Committee in the Department of Psychology at the University of York. If you have any questions you would like to ask the chair of the ethics committee (currently Dr Angela de Bruin), please contact [email protected]. If you are still dissatisfied, please contact the University’s Acting Data Protection Officer at [email protected].
Contact Details: Dr. MaryAnn Noonan, Department of Psychology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, Phone: 01904 321037, Email: [email protected]
Dr. Rebecca Jackson, Department of Psychology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, Phone: 01904 321037, Email: [email protected]
This document explains why we are doing this research project and sets out what will be involved for the school and the children. We will also provide copies of the information and consent forms that we would like to issue to parents/guardians of the children.
Please note that if, in the course of our study, we discover something that raises concerns about the children’s safety or the safety of others, we are obliged to seek further expert help and advice.
It is important to be aware of the information that is provided by the Department of Psychology about the general terms and conditions that apply with respect to the processing of personal data. Please consult: https://wiki.york.ac.uk/display/PsySharedDocs/Key+information+about+GDPR
Summary
Researchers at the University of York, Nicoleta Gavrila, Florence Stow, (under the supervision of Drs MaryAnn Noonan, Kenji Kobayashi, and Becky Jackson) would like to invite you to allow children at your school to take part in the following research project.
Before agreeing to take part, please read this information sheet carefully and let us know if anything is unclear or you would like further information.
The development of learning and decision-making strategies is essential for understanding how people explore the world from childhood into adulthood, and how people approach new learning situations. Learning new information also depends on thinking about different rules and being able to apply these rules depending on the context and goals.
How these learning processes develop plays a pivotal role in shaping how adults and young people engage with school, work, and social life, as well as their mental well-being. Despite this critical role, how these mechanisms operate in everyday life, how they mature and their role in healthy development are poorly understood.
The current research is looking to understand how these different learning strategies develop in children, how they develop alongside other behaviours and cognitive functions, such as working memory or reasoning ability, and how they are related to educational, behavioural and mental health measures.
What is the purpose of the study?
The study is designed to investigate decision-making, learning and conceptual processing. We aim to study how these change over development (from 3-4 years old/pre-school to 10-11 years old/Year 6, and into adulthood). The study will also examine the relationships between learning and decision-making mechanisms, individual behavioural and traits of well-being traits.
The study will involve:
Children completing up to four games on laptops,
Children completing one paper-based questionnaire about worries (only for children in Year 3, 4, 5, or 6; for children in pre-school, reception, Year 1 or Year 2 a version of this questionnaire will be filled by the class teacher).
The class teacher completing a brief questionnaire about behaviour in the class and a general summary of the school performance for each child.
What sort of children are we seeking to involve?
This request relates to a research project that depends on testing children in all the years from pre-school, EYFS to Year 6.
While we are looking to involve all the classes in the school, you may consent to participation on a class-by-class basis rather than for the whole school. We consider that participation remains at the discretion of both you and each class teacher.
Who will give consent for a child to take part?
Consent from parents/carers will be gained via opt-out forms for their child and children will verbally assent to taking part (see attached forms). It will be made clear that the study is entirely voluntary and, even having given consent, any child is free to stop participating at any time without giving a reason. We also need your consent (as the headteacher) to proceed with the study, and similarly, you can withdraw your school from participation at any time before or during data collection.
What will the children be asked to do?
The children will play four short games on the laptops that the researchers will bring. Older children will then answer a wellbeing questionnaire about children’s tendency to feel worried/anxious, either independently for those who can read fluently or with help from the research team. Teachers will complete these forms for the younger children. Teachers will then answer a brief questionnaire about children’s behaviour and a summary (tick box) on school performance for all participating children. The questionnaires can be found in a separate file that was sent along with this information sheet.
We will take every care to reduce to a minimum any foreseeable disruption to the school routine. We will need:
A maximum of one hour (includes set-up time) with the whole class for children Year 3 - Year 6
Several slots of a maximum 1 hour for small groups testing for children in Year 1 and Year 2 over 1-2 weeks
Several slots of 30 minutes for one-to-one testing for children in EYFS and pre-school, 3-4 weeks
Every effort will be made to ensure that the research sessions are as enjoyable and relaxed as possible for the children. The total testing time should not exceed the times mentioned above (note this is different for each age group).
Children will receive a sticker and/or stationery, and each class will receive Amazon vouchers to be spent on resources for the class as a thank-you token. The study has two components: one completed by children and one completed by the teacher. For each component, a £15 voucher will be given (£30 in total if helping with both components).
Children who are not taking part because they were opted out by their parents or did not want to participate will be given the option to complete alternative activities, such as playing other games unrelated to our research (no data will be collected) or to complete their schoolwork; this will be at the teacher’s discretion.
Who will run the testing sessions?
All our researchers have Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly, Criminal Record Bureau, CRB) clearance for working with children. Nicoleta Gavrila and Florence Stow and additional research students will meet with and test the children taking part.
Will you share the children’s data with 3rd parties?
No personal data will be shared with 3rd parties.
We are collecting the following type of personal data (namely, data that could identify who the children are): Some personal data (namely, data that could identify who the children are) will be collected and stored securely. To be able to link the scores on the laptop games with the teacher’s report, we will collect the children’s first name and the first two letters of their surname. After the testing is finished, the data will be stored in a locked cabinet in the Department of Psychology. After data processing, the results will be fully anonymised, and the data we store and analyse for this study will not contain any personal data. Any paper files with personal data will be destroyed via confidential waste management.
Our research group is committed to open research practices, which includes sharing research data through public repositories such as the Open Science Framework. This way, the child’s anonymised data will be shared publicly with others. Anonymised data may also be reused by the research team or other third parties for secondary research and/or teaching purposes. We will never share any personal data and the data shared will not be able to identify the child. When data are shared, they can be accessed by other people who might use them for other research questions that are not known to us. Please only take part in the study if you agree with this.
Anonymised data may be reused by the research team or other third parties for secondary research and/or teaching purposes.
Will you transfer the data internationally?
We will not share any personal data internationally. Anonymised data might be shared internationally, as explained in the previous section.
Will the children be identified in any research outputs?
The children cannot be identified based on these outputs. The children’s study data will be analysed to answer our research questions and will be used in research outputs. This can include presentations and publications in scientific journals as well as other types of verbal or written outputs.
Questions or concerns
If you have any questions about this information sheet or concerns about how the children’s data is being processed, please contact Dr MaryAnn Noonan ([email protected]) or Dr Rebecca Jackson ([email protected]) in the first instance. This project received ethics approval from the Ethics Committee in the Department of Psychology at the University of York. If you have any questions you would like to ask the chair of the ethics committee (currently Dr Angela de Bruin), please contact [email protected]. If you are still dissatisfied, please contact the University’s Acting Data Protection Officer at [email protected].
Contact Details: Dr. MaryAnn Noonan, Department of Psychology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, Phone: 01904 321037, Email: [email protected]
Dr. Rebecca Jackson, Department of Psychology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, Phone: 01904 321037, Email: [email protected]
Please email us at [email protected] if you have any questions after reading the participant information above and to participate in the study.