Recognition of non-emotional bodily states

We are recruiting participants for a study investigating the recognition of non-emotional states (e.g. cold, pain, hunger, itch, etc.) in others. Previous studies have investigated this ability in the self, but the recognition of bodily states in others needs to be explored. The results of this and future similar studies have important implications, as they could potentially give clinicians insight into people’s ability to provide care and support for others, thus helping them to offer their clients a more well informed, evidence-based, treatment plan.

What do I have to do?

If you decide to participate in this study, you will see some pictures of people expressing both internal states and actions. You will be asked to judge what these stimuli represent. At the beginning of this study, you will be asked to completed some questionnaires which investigate your awareness and attention to bodily signals, as well as your mental wellbeing. The session will take approximately 1 hour to complete. You will be rewarded with a £20 Amazon/National Book Token voucher.

What are the exclusion criteria?

In order to take part in the study, you must be between the ages of 18-50 years. You must be fluent in English and have normal or corrected-to-normal vision. You must also identify yourself as either Autistic or having and Eating Disorder.

What will you do with my responses? IMPORTANT INFO BELOW

Your personal information will be stored on a password-protected computer for the use of the researcher and will only be accessible by the researchers involved in this project. Your name and contact information will be kept confidential at all stages of the research. However, your responses may be used in future experiments with human participants and may also be presented at conferences or published in academic journal articles. However, none of your personal information, except for your age, gender, and diagnosis type (if any), will ever be made available to anyone besides the researchers involved in this project.

What happens if I change my mind?

You do not have to take part in this research if you don’t want to. If you decide to take part, you can withdraw from the study at any time without having to give a reason. However, please be aware that your responses may already have been shared with other researchers or research participants at this point.

This study has been reviewed and approved by the College Ethics Committee at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Researchers involved:

Dr Federica Biotti: Royal Holloway, University of London (federica.biotti@rhul.ac.uk)

Dr Rebecca Brewer (Principal Investigator): Royal Holloway, University of London (Rebecca.Brewer@rhul.ac.uk)

DATA PROTECTION, FUNDING AND ETHICAL CLEARANCE

Royal Holloway, University of London is the sponsor for this study and is based in the UK. We will be using information from you in order to undertake this study and will act as the data controller for this study. This means that we are responsible for looking after your information and using it properly. Any data you provide during the completion of the study will be stored securely on local servers. Royal Holloway is designated as a public authority and in accordance with the Royal Holloway and Bedford New College Act 1985 and the Statutes which govern the College, we conduct research for the public benefit and in the public interest. Royal Holloway has put in place appropriate technical and organisational security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in any unauthorised way or altered or disclosed. Royal Holloway has also put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data security breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected breach where legally required to do so. To safeguard your rights, we will use the minimum personally-identifiable information possible (i.e., the email address you provide us). The lead researcher will keep your contact details confidential and will use this information only as required (i.e., to provide a summary of the study results if requested and/or for the prize draw). The lead researcher will keep information about you and data gathered from the study for 5 years after the study has finished. Certain individuals from RHUL may look at your research records to check the accuracy of the research study. If the study is published in a relevant peer-reviewed journal, the anonymised data may be made available to third parties. The people who analyse the information will not be able to identify you. You can find out more about your rights under the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 by visiting https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/about-us/more/governance-and-strategy/data-protection/ and if you wish to exercise your rights, please contact dataprotection@royalholloway.ac.uk. Please complete the consent form so that we know whether you agree to take part in this study.

This project is funded by the South East Network for Social Sciences (SeNSS). This study has been reviewed and approved by the College Ethics Committee at Royal Holloway, University of London. The members of the research team have been checked and cleared by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). If you are unhappy or have concerns about any aspect of the project, and do not wish to contact the research team, you can contact the Research Ethics Committee via email at ethics@rhul.ac.uk, or by phone at 01784 414930. The committee is entirely independent of the research and will respond to your concerns.