Online Consent Form

Principal Investigator Name and Title: Kimberly Rios, Professor of Psychology
Department and Institution: Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Contact Information: kmrios@illinois.edu

You are being asked by UIUC researchers to participate in research. This form describes the purpose, procedures, possible benefits, and risks of the research project. It also explains how your personal information will be used and protected. Once you have read this form and your questions about the study are answered, you will be asked to participate in this study. You may print a copy of this document to take with you.

Summary of Study: The aim of this research is to understand how people perceive certain patterns of behavior and how prior knowledge and individual beliefs influence these interpretations. In addition, we aim to understand people's opinions and attitudes towards psychosocial-emotional behaviors from a cultural perspective.

Explanation of Study and Procedure: We would like to invite you to take part in this research by completing the following online questionnaire. The questionnaire includes three sections: one on demographic data, another with scenarios to give your opinion on different behaviors and, finally, a section with statements and additional questions. It takes approximately 30 minutes to complete the questionnaire. There are no right or wrong answers; sincerity is key. All the information collected will be confidential and anonymous. The data will be used exclusively for research purposes. 
Participation is voluntary and you can withdraw at any time, without having to justify your decision. You can take part if you are aged 18 or over, you are fluent in English, and you live in the U.S.

Risks and Discomforts: No risks or discomforts are anticipated. If you feel upset during any stage of this study, you can leave the study and contact the researchers (see the end of this form) for further support.

Benefits: You may not benefit personally by participating in this study. Your response will help us to better understand how people perceive certain patterns of behavior and how prior knowledge and individual beliefs influence these interpretations.

Confidentiality and Records: Your study information will be kept confidential by the researchers. For maximum confidentiality, please clear your browser history and close the browser before leaving the computer. Additionally, while every effort will be made to keep your study-related information confidential, there may be circumstances where this information must be shared with: 
* Federal agencies, for example the Office of Human Research Protections, whose responsibility is to protect human subjects in research. 
* Representatives of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), including the Institutional Review Board, a committee that oversees the research at UIUC.

We will keep the information we collect about you during this research study for study recordkeeping and future unspecific research. De-identified data from this study may be shared with the research community, with journals in which study results are published, and with databases and data repositories used for research. 

Compensation: Participation is voluntary, and you will not be compensated. You may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty.

Contact Information: If you have any questions regarding this study, please contact the investigator, Homa Sheibani (Homas2@illinois.edu, 2063999567), or the advisor, Dr. Kimberly Rios (kmrios@illinois.edu).
If you have any questions about your rights as a research subject, including concerns, complaints, or to offer input, you may call the Office for the Protection of Research Subjects (OPRS) at 217-333-2670 or e-mail OPRS at irb@illinois.edu. If you would like to complete a brief survey to provide OPRS feedback about your experiences as a research participant, please follow the link here or through a link on the OPRS website: https://oprs.research.illinois.edu/. You will have the option to provide feedback or concerns anonymously, or you may provide your name and contact information for follow-up purposes.

By agreeing to participate in this study, you agree that: 
• you have read this form (or it has been read to you) and have been given the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered. 
• you have been informed of potential risks, and they have been explained to your satisfaction. 
• you are 18 years of age or older. 
• your participation in this research is completely voluntary.
• you may leave the study at any time; if you decide to stop participating in the study, there will be no penalty to you, and you will not lose any benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. 
• the return of the questionnaire will serve as consent to participate.