Informed Consent for PARENTS to Complete

THE RESEARCH: Your child is invited to participate in a study on adolescent temperament run by the Bowdoin College psychology department under Professor Sam Putnam. The purpose of this study is to create and refine a new Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire. Participants will answer a series of 20 questions about their responses to every day occurrences. This study will take place online. After indicating your consent, a link will be given to you which leads to the questionnaire. Once the questionnaire is finished, another link will lead to a website, on which your child can enter into a raffle for a prize.

Additional modules of 20 more questions each can also be taken by your child. For each additional module completed (up to six modules), your child receives another entry into the raffle.

RISKS AND BENEFITS: The risks of this study are minimal. Risks associated with normal computer use are relevant, as well as the small possibility of a confidentiality breech. Steps will be taken to ensure confidentiality is kept (see below). There is a small chance your child could experience distress related to some questions. This risk is similar to that experienced in everyday conversation. If any of the questions causes your child stress, they can skip the question by using the response “would rather not answer.” Also, your child is permitted to stop participation at any time during the study.

Benefits to your child may include greater self-awareness and a better understanding of how psychological research is conducted. Benefits to society will include a new measure to understand adolescent development.

PAYMENT: All participants will be entered into a drawing for several $20 prizes and one $100 prize. If your child wins this drawing, a check will be sent to you for the amount won.

CONFIDENTIALITY: All participation will be confidential. The files for informed consent and raffle entry will be kept separate from the children’s survey responses. As such, it will not be possible to connect a given child’s answers to them personally. IP addresses will be collected on the survey, but these will be stripped from the dataset before it is used by students. The raffle entry will require your child to enter their name, your name, and your email. The files containing identifiable information will be kept only on the password-protected laptop computer of Professor Sam Putnam.

TIME INVOLVEMENT: We estimate that participation should take about 6-12 minutes per module. Because children are welcome to complete up to 6 modules, they may spend up to 72 minutes.

HOW WILL RESULTS BE USED: The results of this study will be used to develop an updated version of the Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire. The data will be analyzed as part of student class projects, and eventually published in a scientific journal.

Participant's Rights
- I have read the description of this study and understand the purpose and procedure.
- My child's participation is voluntary and they may refuse to participate or withdraw from participation at any time during the study with no repercussions.
- The researcher may withdraw my child from the research at his professional discretion.
- If, during the course of the study, new information becomes available which may relate to my child's willingness to continue to participate, the investigator will provide this information.
- Any information collected in this reserach which identifies myself or my child will not be voluntarily released without my separate consent, except as specifically required by law.
- If at any time I have questions regarding the research or my child's participatin, I can contact the investigator, Sam Putnam, at sputnam@bowdoin.edu
- If at any time I have comments or concerns regarding the conduct of the research or questions about my rights as a research subject, I should contact the Bowdoin College Institutional Review Board Chair, Scott Sehon, at (207) 725-3753. Or, write to the IRB in care of Professor Scott Sehon, Department of Philosophy, 8400 College Station, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011. If Professor Sehon is not available, I should contact the IRB Administrator, Jean Harrison, at (207) 725-3217 or write her at Jean Harrison, Academic Department Coordinator, 8400 College Station, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011. Both Professor Sehon and Mrs. Harrison can be reached at IRB@bowdoin.edu.

My online signature below means that I agree to allow my child to participate in this study.