Foraging Fish Study
|
Please note the following BEFORE participating:
|
|
Ethics Approval Reference: R79042/RE002
We are researchers at the University of Oxford, running a study investigating how learning and decision making changes across childhood and into early adulthood. We would like to invite your child to be part of this study. We very much hope you would like your child to take part, but before you decide, it is important that you understand why the study is being done and what it will involve.
What are we trying to find out?
We are investigating how children’s learning and decision-making strategies change with age. Learning to choose the best option is not a trivial problem, particularly when there are multiple potentially valuable choices and the value of these options changes over time. How children and adolescents learn in these situations, and how that differs from adults is still unknown. We wish to find out more about how decision strategies develop during childhood. We are also interested in how the way we learn and make decisions are affected by our mental health. More information about the project can be obtained by contacting the research team (contact details below).
Why has my child been invited to take part?
We are inviting your child to take part because they are a young person, aged between 11 and 23 years.
We are inviting 250 young people to take part.
Does my child have to take part?
No. You can ask questions about the study before deciding whether or not to allow your child to participate. If you do agree to participation, you may withdraw your child and their data from the study at any time during the online task, without giving a reason and without penalty, by pressing the “Exit study now” button. Once the data has been submitted at the end of the study it cannot be withdrawn because it will have been automatically anonymised.
What will happen if my child takes part?
If you agree for your child to take part, they will participate in one online game either at home, school or an organised community science engagement event. They will also be invited to participate in one other session in their own time within two weeks of completing the first session. The links to the games are accessible through the website below. Before the game begins, they will be asked to provide their age and gender. During the game they will see pictures on a computer screen and make a simple decision. For some choices they will win points and for others they won’t (or they might lose points). Should you wish your child to take part but do not have access to the internet, please get in touch with us and we will try to arrange this with your child’s school. The game will take no more than 35 minutes. We will then ask your child to complete a number of questionnaires to assess symptoms of mental health. They will also fill out a short questionnaire about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption they might have gone through. These questionnaires will take no more than 10 minutes. We have included support links at the end of the study should your child have concerns about their mental health.
What are the advantages / disadvantages of taking part?
There are no potential disadvantages to your child taking part in this study. The knowledge we gain from the study will help us understand how children learn to choose the most valuable option and how these skills develop with age, potentially benefiting other children in the future.
What happens to the data provided?
The information you or your child provide during the study is the research data. Any research data from which you or your child can be identified is known as personal data. We are collecting no personal data.
Results for each young person taking part are kept strictly confidential. Only a number will be used to identify them, and all information and results are kept in encrypted password protected computers and servers in the University.
Other research data will be stored for 5 years after publication or public release of the work of the research.
The research team will have access to the research data. Responsible members of the University of Oxford may be given access to data for monitoring and/or audit of the research.
We would like your permission to use de-identified data in future studies, and to share data with other researchers (e.g. in online databases). All personal information that could identify your child will be removed or changed before information is shared with other researchers or results are made public.
Regular summaries of our findings will be given to the schools and will be available to interested families.
Will the research be published?
We try to publish our findings in scientific journals but this may be a year or two from the end of the study. At that time the data may be deposited on a public data repository so that other researchers can use them butno one will be able to tell that it was your child who played the game.
Who is conducting this research?
The research project is organised by Dr MaryAnn Noonan of the University of Oxford, who is a Departmental Lecturer. Dr Noonan has current DBS clearance and up to date safe guarding training. The research is funded by the Academy of Medical Sciences. This study has been reviewed by, and received ethics clearance through, a subcommittee of the University of Oxford’s Central University Research Ethics Committee, R79042/RE001.
What if there is a problem?
If you have a concern about any aspect of this study, please contact MaryAnn Noonan ([email protected]), and we will do our best to answer your query. We will acknowledge your concern within 10 working days and give you an indication of how it will be dealt with. If you remain unhappy or wish to make a formal complaint, please contact the Chair of the Medical Sciences Interdivisional Research Ethics Committee at the University of Oxford who will seek to resolve the matter as soon as possible:
Email: [email protected]; Address: Research Services, University of Oxford, Boundary Brook House, Churchill Drive, Oxford OX3 7GB
Data Protection
The University of Oxford is the data controller with respect to your child’s personal data and, as such, will determine how your child’s personal data is used in the study.
The University will process your child’s personal data for the purpose of the research outlined above. Research is a task that we perform in the public interest.
Further information about your rights with respect to your child’s personal data is available from https://compliance.web.ox.ac.uk/individual-rights.
What should I do next?
If you are happy to allow your child to participate in the study please click continue below.
If you would like to discuss the research with someone beforehand (or if you have questions afterwards), please contact:
MaryAnn Noonan
Department of Experimental Psychology
Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter
Woodstock Road
Oxford OX2 6GG Tel: 01865 277490
Email: [email protected]
|
INFORMATION SHEET FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 11 TO 17 YEARS
|
Ethics Approval Reference: R79042/RE002
We are inviting you to join in a research study. My name is MaryAnn and I work at the University of Oxford in the Department of Experimental Psychology.
Before you decide if you would like to join in, it’s important to understand what the study is about, why we’re doing it and what it would involve for you.
Please read and think about this leaflet carefully. Please feel free to talk to your family, friends, or the researchers about it if you want. If anything isn’t clear or you have more questions you can ask your parents/carer to give us a call and we can discuss it with you and your parents/carer.
Why are we doing this research?
We study how learning and decision making change as we get older. Learning to choose the best option is sometimes not easy, particularly when there are lots of good options to choose between, and the value of these options changes over time. How children and adolescents learn in these situations and how that differs from adults is still unknown. We wish to find out more about how decision strategies develop during childhood. We are also interested in how the way we learn and make decisions are affected by our mental health.
Why have I been invited to take part?
We are inviting you to take part because you are a young person, aged between 11 and 23 years.
We are inviting 250 young people to take part.
Do I have to take part?
No - It is up to you. If you DO NOT want to take part, simply do not press the “Start” button on this website. If you would like to talk about the research with someone beforehand (or if you have any questions afterwards) please contact MaryAnn Noonan (contact details at the bottom of this letter). You are free to stop taking part at any time during the research without giving a reason, by telling the researcher. If you decide to stop, we will not use the information we have already collected from you.
What will happen to me if I take part?
Before the game starts we will ask you to provide your age and gender, and ask you to fill out a short questionnaire about your experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption you might have gone through. There will also be some questions about your mood. You are then invited to play a computer-based task where you will see pictures on a computer screen and make simple decisions about them. For some choices you will win points and for others you won’t (or you might lose points). Your aim is to earn as many points as possible. The game and questions will take no more than 45 minutes.
What happens to the results of the study?
The information you provide during the study is the research data. We will not ask you to give any information that could directly identify you.
Results for each young person taking part are kept strictly confidential. Only a number will be used to identify your data, and all information and results are kept in encrypted password protected computers and servers in the University.
Research data will be stored for 5 years after publication or public release of the work of the research.
We try to publish our findings in scientific journals but this may be a year or two from the end of the study. At that time the data may be deposited in a public data repository so that other researchers can use them but no one will be able to tell that it was you who played the game.
What are the advantages / disadvantages of taking part?
There are no disadvantages in taking part in this study. The knowledge we gain from the study will help us understand how children learn to make decisions and how these skills develop with age, potentially benefiting other children in the future.
Will anyone else know I'm doing this?
We will keep your information private. This means we will only tell those who have a need or right to know, such as the research team and your parent/guardian. We will only share information that does not include your name.
What if I don’t want to take part in the research anymore?
Just tell your parent/guardian and the people carrying out the research that you don’t want to take part. You don’t have to give a reason and no one will be annoyed with you. It is YOUR choice.
Who is organising and funding the research?
The research is organised by Dr MaryAnn Noonan of the University of Oxford, who is a Departmental Lecturer. The study is being paid for by the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Who has reviewed the study?
Before any research involving people can start, it has to be checked by a Research Ethics Committee to make sure that it is OK for the research to go ahead. This study has been approved by the University of Oxford Central University Research Ethics Committee.
What if there is a problem or something goes wrong?
Please tell us if you are worried about any part of this study, by contacting the researcher ([email protected]). You may also talk to your teacher/parent/guardian who will let the researcher know. If you are still unhappy or wish to make a complaint, either you or your teacher/parent/guardian can contact the chair of the Medical Sciences Interdivisional Research Ethics Committee at the University of Oxford:
Email: [email protected]; Address: Research Services, University of Oxford, Boundary Brook House, Oxford OX3 7GB
Data Protection
The University of Oxford is the data controller with respect to your personal data and, as such, will determine how your personal data is used in the study.
The University will process your personal data for the purpose of the research outlined above. Research is a task that we perform in the public interest.
Further information about your rights with respect to your personal data is available from https://compliance.web.ox.ac.uk/individual-rights.
Contact details
If you would like to discuss the research with someone beforehand (or if you have questions afterwards), please contact:
MaryAnn Noonan
Department of Experimental Psychology
Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter
Woodstock Road
Oxford OX2 6GG Tel: 01865 277490
Email: [email protected]
Thank you for reading this – please ask any questions if you need to.
INFORMATION SHEET FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 18 TO 23 YEARS
Ethics Approval Reference: R79042/RE002 |
If you are happy to begin the online task AND HAVE NOT played the FORAGING MONKEY TASK yet, please click 'START' below.