Trait Gratitude and ER

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET

Study title: Gratitude and emotions
Name of Researcher: Dr Amelia Dennis
Contact details of Researcher: ad2746@bath.ac.uk

1. What is the purpose of the project?
I am a Researcher at the University of Bath, and I am inviting you to participate in a study that aims to examine gratitude and feelings.

2. Why have I been invited to take part?
You have been invited to take part in this study because you are over 18 years old and are fluent in reading and writing English.

3. Do I have to take part?
It is completely up to you to decide if you would like to take part or not. Before you decide, you should read the information in this sheet carefully and ask any questions you may have. If you agree to take part, you will then be asked to sign a consent form. However, if at any time during the study you decide you no longer wish to take part in this project, you are free to withdraw your participation without giving a reason, to do this close your browser at any time.

4. What would taking part involve?
The survey is all online and you will be asked to answer some questions relating to the emotions you feel and your thoughts. The survey should take approximately 10 minutes.

5. What are the exclusion criteria?
Those under 18 years old and those not fluent in reading and writing English are excluded from participating in this study.

6. What are the possible benefits of taking part?
If you decide to take part in this study you will not receive any direct benefits, however your participation will contribute to knowledge in this area. At the end, we will provide more information on the research aims and what researchers know about this area, which you may find useful.

If you are completing this survey through Prolific you may receive monetary compensation in return for your participation.

7. What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
It is expected that taking part in this study will not cause you any psychological discomfort or distress, however should you feel uncomfortable you can leave the study at any point. If completing this study raises any issues for you, you may find the following resources helpful:

UK participants: find a counsellor at www.bacp.org  
Worldwide: www.allaboutcounseling.com Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you're feeling, or if you're worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.

8. Who will have access to the information that I provide?
Only the research team will have access to information that you provide, and this information is anonymous and will be treated as confidential.

9. What will happen to the data collected and results of the project?
We will treat all information that you provide as confidential and store it securely at the University of Bath in a password-protected file on the University’s secure server (X Drive). Storage of data will be done in accordance with current UK data protection legislation. Recorded data will be stored securely and confidentially in the University archives for a minimum of 10 years. All data is anonymous and therefore will not be identifiable in any presentation or publication of the datasets or results.

10. Who has reviewed the project?
This project has been given a favourable ethics opinion by the University of Bath [reference: 4045-4866].

11. How can I withdraw from the project?
You have the right to change your mind and withdraw at any point during this study without giving a reason and without penalty. You can withdraw at any point during the study by closing the browser and all your data will be deleted. After completing the study, it will not be possible to withdraw your data as the data collected is all anonymous and therefore unidentifiable. As a result, individual results will not be identifiable in any presentation or publication.

12. University of Bath privacy notice
The University of Bath privacy notice can be found here: https://www.bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/university-of-bath-privacy-notice-for-research-participants/.

13. What happens if there is a problem?
If you have a concern about any aspect of the project, you should ask to speak to the researchers who will do their best to answer any questions. If they are unable to resolve your concern or you wish to make a complaint regarding the project, please contact the Research Governance and Compliance Team at research-ethics@bath.ac.uk.

14. Who should I contact for more information?
Thank you for your interest in this project. Please do not hesitate to contact the researchers if you would like more information.

Researcher: Dr Amelia Dennis
Email: ad2746@bath.ac.uk