How does social information and reward influence decision making and learning in adolescence?
Ethics Approval Reference: 23130
It is important to be aware of 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
Background
The University of York, Dr MaryAnn Noonan and Anna Wilson would like to invite you to allow your child to take part in the following research project.
We are researchers at the University of York, 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.
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. Note that this does not apply to the responses the children give to the actual study questions and tasks. All research data are anonymous, so questionnaire responses will not be identifiable to any participant.
An opt-out form has been attached to this email. Please fill out this form if you do not wish for your child to participate in the study. Task sessions will begin on 12/09/23. Please return this form by midnight on 11/09/23 if you do not wish for your child to take part. If you do not return this form your child may be offered the opportunity to participate in the research study.
Please contact MaryAnn Noonan if you have any questions regarding the study:
Phone: 01905321037
E-mail: maryann.noonan@york.ac.uk
What is the purpose of the study?
We are investigating how decision-making strategies change with age and depend on social influence. 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 largely 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 is my child being invited to take part?
We are inviting your child to take part because they are a young person, aged between 11 and 25 years. We are inviting 200 young people to take part.
Do I have to agree to allow my child to be tested?
No, participation is optional. If you do decide to go ahead, you will be given a copy of this information sheet for your records and will be asked to opt out (see attached form) if you do not want your child to take part. If your child changes their mind at any point during the study, they will be able to withdraw their participation without having to provide a reason. As data is anonymised there will be no opportunity to remove the data after it has been submitted. Participants can only withdraw from the study up until the point they are asked to submit their data.
What will my child be asked to do?
If you agree for your child to take part, they will participate in one online game at school. Before the game begins, they will be asked to provide their age and gender. During the game they will see coloured rectangles associated with a certain number of points on the computer screen and will make a simple decision (by clicking on one of two coloured rectangles).. For some choices they will win points and for others they won’t (or they might lose points). Sometimes the computer will suggest which option to choose. The rewards are numerical points that have no value outside of the study. The game will take no more than 20 minutes. We will then ask your child to complete a short, age-appropriate questionnaire regarding their mental health (RCADS), which will take no more than 5 minutes. Please click on the link above to view the statements included. Participants will be asked how often these statements happen to them. Statement 37 will not be included in the questionnaire. Examples of statements include:
‘I worry about things’
‘I have trouble sleeping’
‘I have problems with my appetite’
We recommend that you opt your child out of this study by completing and returning the opt-out form attached to this email if your child has current or past mental health difficulties. It is not necessary to provide a reason to opt-out of this study.
The questionnaire assesses behaviours and feelings that naturally vary in the general population and these questionnaires cannot be used as a clinical assessment or diagnosis.
We have included support links at the end of the study should your child have concerns about their mental health.
If you think your child would like to participate in the study you may wish to show your child the information sheet you will have received from the school before the study.
Where will the research sessions take place?
Testing will take place at Sir Roger Manwood’s School. Every effort will be made to ensure that the research sessions are as enjoyable as possible although it will be important that during the session they are conducted quietly and independently. The total testing time should not exceed 30 minutes.
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. Anna Wilson will meet with and test the children taking part. In all testing sessions, a teacher will be present.
Will you share my child’s data with 3rd parties?
No personal data (namely, data that could identify participants) are collected in this project.
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, 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 participants.
Will you transfer my child’s data internationally?
No. Anonymous data may be shared as noted above on data sharing sites such as the Open Science Framework, which can be accessed by international researchers.
Will my child be identified in any research outputs?
No
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 MaryAnn Noonan at maryann.noonan@york.ac.uk in the first instance. If you are still dissatisfied, please contact the University’s Acting Data Protection Officer at dataprotection@york.ac.uk.
Contact Details:
MaryAnn Noonan, Department of Psychology,
The University of York, York, YO10 5DD
Phone: 01904 323190 (Department of Psychology) 01905321037 (MaryAnn Noonan)
E-mail: maryann.noonan@york.ac.uk
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INFORMATION SHEET FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 11 TO 17 YEAR
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Ethics Approval Reference: 23130
Background
We are inviting you to join in a research study. My name is MaryAnn and I work at the University of York in the Department of 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 before the research study. 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.
This study will ask some questions about your mental health. You will be asked to record how often you feel a certain way. An example of this is:
‘I worry about things’
‘I feel afraid if I have to talk in front of my class’
If you think these questions might negatively affect you, please do not take part in this study. You are free to stop the study at any time before completing without providing a reason. Any answers you provide will be completely anonymous.
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 18 years. We are inviting 200 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.
When you have finished the study and submitted your data, we will not be able to delete it. This is because we can not tell who submitted which data.
What will happen 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 that is related to your mood.
You are then invited to play a computer-based task where you will see coloured rectangles with different numbers of points 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). These points do not correspond to any money or physical prizes. Your aim is to earn as many points as possible. Sometimes the computer will suggest which option to choose. The game and questions will take no more than 25 minutes.
No one will be able to see your answers to the questionnaire or your score in the game.
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.
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?
If you decide you would not like to take part in the research before the study, you can tell your parents/guardian. In the study session, you can quit the study at any time by exiting the study or closing your browser. You don’t have to give a reason and no one will be annoyed with you. It is YOUR choice.
Questions or concerns
If you would like to discuss the research with someone beforehand (or if you have questions afterwards), please contact:
MaryAnn Noonan, Department of Psychology,
The University of York, York, YO10 5DD
Phone: 01904 323190 (Department of Psychology) 01905321037 (MaryAnn Noonan)
E-mail: maryann.noonan@york.ac.uk
INFORMATION SHEET FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 18 TO 23 YEARS
Ethics Approval Reference: 23130
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
Background
The University of York (Dr MaryAnn Noonan) 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.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss any aspect of the study please contact MaryAnn Noonan (maryann.noonan@york.ac.uk) before completing the consent form.
What is the purpose of the study?
We are investigating how children and young adults’ 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 and how decisions are influenced by different contexts. We are also interested in how the way we learn and make decisions are affected by our mental health.
If you agree to take part, you will participate in an online game. During the game you will see coloured rectangles associated with a certain number of points on the computer screen and will make a simple decision (by clicking on one of two coloured rectangles). For some choices you will win points and for others they won’t (or you might lose points). Sometimes the computer will suggest which option to choose. The rewards are numerical points that have no value outside of the study. The game will take no more than 20 minutes.
This study will include answering questions related to your mental health, which may be of a sensitive nature (RCADS), which will take no more than 5 minutes. Please click on the link above to view the statements included. Participants will be asked how often these statements happen to them. Statement 37 will not be included in the questionnaire. Examples of statements include:
‘I worry about things’
‘I have trouble sleeping’
‘I have problems with my appetite’
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 questionnaire assesses behaviours and feelings that naturally vary in the general population and these questionnaires cannot be used as a clinical assessment or diagnosis. We have included contacts and support links at the end of the study should you have any concerns regarding your mental health.
More information about the project can be obtained by contacting the research team.
Why have I been invited to take part?
You have been invited to take part because you are between 18 and 25 years old.
Do I have to take part?
No, participation is optional. If you do decide to take part, you will be given the option to download a copy of this information sheet HERE. 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 closing the screen. 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?
No personal data (namely, data that could identify who you are) are collected in this project.
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. Please only take part in the study if you agree with this.
Will you transfer my data internationally?
Anonymous data may be shared as noted in section 5 on data sharing sites such as the Open Science Framework, which can be accessed by international researchers.
Will I be identified in any research outputs?
No
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 in the first instance. If you are still dissatisfied, please contact the University’s Acting Data Protection Officer at dataprotection@york.ac.uk.
Contact Details:
MaryAnn Noonan, Department of Psychology,
The University of York, York, YO10 5DD
Phone: 01904 323190 (Department of Psychology) 01905321037 (MaryAnn Noonan)
E-mail: maryann.noonan@york.ac.uk