Emotional Experiences


Study Title: Emotional Experiences

Principal Investigator: Charles Couchman, M.A.

Note: You must be at least 18 years old to participate in this survey.

Study Purpose: This form describes a research study that Charles Couchman, M.A., principal investigator from the University of Rochester, is conducting in order to better understand how people experience different emotions.

Study Procedure: In this study, you will first be asked to complete a short survey providing some general information about yourself and then to remember two emotional situations and to complete short surveys about how you felt during each of these situations. Altogether, the study will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Because you will be asked to recall your emotional experiences with as much real feeling as possible, please complete this study in a place where you can be alone and without distractions. At the end of the study you will be able to view how other people have answered the same questions.

The surveys included in this study contain some personal questions such as about your age, gender, ethnicity, income and education levels, and also about the feelings, behaviors, and thoughts you have experienced during emotional situations. We would like you to answer all questions, but you may skip any that you don’t feel comfortable answering.

Confidentiality: All of your responses will be kept in an anonymous manner. This means that there is no way for your identity to be linked to your responses. The responses of all participants will be stored numerically and only the investigators on the study will have access to your individual responses. Only summarized data will be presented at meetings or in any publications.

Risks: If you participate, there is a risk that you might experience some discomfort from reliving and answering questions about past emotional experiences. Should you experience discomfort, you are free to cease participation without any consequences and you may also contact the principal investigator at the email address below. This study has been reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board at the University of Rochester and has been determined to be of minimal risk to participants.

Benefits: There are no direct benefits to you for participating in this study. However, some people tend to find that taking the time to answer questions about their emotional experiences can heighten their awareness of themselves and their feelings.

Voluntary Participation: Your participation in this study is completely voluntary. You are free to not participate or to withdraw at any time without any consequences. If you do withdraw, any information you have provided will be deleted from our records at your request. You may choose not to answer some or all of the questions for any reason.

For more information about this research, please contact Charles Couchman at couchman@psych.rochester.edu.

If you have any questions about your rights as a research subject, you may contact the Human Subjects Protection Specialist at the University of Rochester Research Subjects Review Board, Box 315, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, NY 14642-8315, Telephone: 011-585-276-0005 or toll free at 011-977-449-4441.

If you are interested in participating in the study, please click on the link below. Thank you for your time and support!

Sincerely,

Charles Couchman, M.A.
Department of Clinical and Social Psychology
University of Rochester

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