Information and Consent Form
The influence of thinking styles after traumatic events
About the study
You are invited to participate in a study of trauma, the way we think about the experience, and how this influences our ability to recover. The purpose of the study is to establish whether certain ways of thinking are more helpful than others after a trauma occurs.
The study is being conducted by Renee Slym to meet the requirements of a Clinical Masters Degree in Psychology at Macquarie University, Sydney (Supervisor, Dr Lorna Peters, Psychology Department, ph: 98506727). The research is supported by a Postgraduate Research Grant from the Department of Psychology, Macquarie University. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to complete a range of questionnaires relating to trauma, distress and coping after trauma, ways of thinking about trauma and world views. The entire questionnaire is web based and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Any information or personal details gathered in the course of the study are confidential. No individual will be identified in any publication of the results. The researcher will be unable to match the individual with their responses. Renee Slym (chief investigator) and Dr Lorna Peters (Supervisor) will be the only individuals who will have access to the data.
If you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw from further participation in the research (log out) at any time without having to give a reason and without consequence. Students receiving credit points for participating will not have credit points forfeited in the event that they choose to withdraw from the research. Feedback regarding results can be sent electronically by emailing reneeslym@hotmail.com. Macquarie University students taking part in the study can view results posted on the Psychology Department Undergraduate noticeboard after study completion.
You may find some of the questions in the survey disturbing. In this case you are reminded that you have the right to withdraw from participating at any time. Unexpected upset may increase for a small minority of people several days after the survey is completed. In this unlikely event we strongly advise those affected participants to contact Life Line telephone counselling service on 131114 or NSW Health on 9391 9000 for information or a referral to your local community health centre. Macquarie University students participating in this study who experience unexpected upset are advised to contact the Macquarie University Counselling Service on 9850 7497.
First year Psychology students will receive 45 minutes course credit for participating. Participants who are not 1st year Psychology students will be given the opportunity to go in a draw for a $50 prize. By entering the prize draw, you can not be identified with your questionnaire responses. This prize draw is an incentive to recruit those participants who would not otherwise receive benefit for taking part in the study.
The ethical aspects of this study have been approved by the Macquarie University Ethics Review Committee (Human Research). If you have any complaints or reservations about any ethical aspect of your participation in this research, you may contact the Committee through the Research Ethics Officer (telephone [02] 9850 7854, fax [02] 9850 8799, email: ethics@mq.edu.au). Any complaint you make will be treated in confidence and investigated, and you will be informed of the outcome.
By pressing one of the buttons below you agree or decline to participate in this research:
I agree to participate in this survey
I do not agree to participate in this survey