Informed Consent Form

The research study in which you are being asked to participate is designed to enable us to learn more about memory. The study is being conducted in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University. Your participation in the study should take about 20 minutes. The reasons for the study, what you will be asked to do, and other important information are discussed below.

Reason for Study:This study is an attempt to understand memory. We are interested, specifically, in cultural differences in the temporal distribution of autobiographical memory.

What You Will Be Asked to Do: If you decide to participate, you will be asked to describe briefly the seven most important events of your life. You will then be asked nine questions about each event.

How confidentiality will be maintained: Your participation in this study will be confidential. All of your responses will be marked only with a 'research subject' number. When we analyze all the data (responses) we collect, we will neither analyze the data nor report our findings in connection with any participants' names. Your e-mail address will appear only in a table that will be kept separate from your study responses. We keep this table of e-mail addresses so that you can receive notification and log in more easily to future studies, and to avoid repeating the same study. The tables with the e-mail addresses and responses are stored in a MySQL database on the Linux server of this website. The database can only be reached by research team members with SSH (Secure Shell) with a password that is linked to a fixed IP address, which means that members of the research team cannot access the database from any but their own computer. Although the Linux server is not a 'secure' https server of the kind typically used to handle credit card transactions, it is unlikely that responses could be viewed by unauthorized third parties (e.g., computer hackers). Also, in general the web page software will log as header lines the IP address of the machine that a participant uses to access the study site, e.g., 102.403.506.807, but otherwise no other information will be stored unless the participant explicitly enters it.

Participation is entirely your choice: You are free to decide whether to participate, and you may decline to answer questions or withdraw from the study at any time.

Risks/Benefits: We know of no risks or benefits to you for participating in this research study. The potential benefits of this research lie in the knowledge that will be acquired about the nature of memory processes in general.

Questions: For questions about the research, please contact the Principal Investigators, Steve Janssen (s.m.j.janssen@uva.nl or 919-660-5639) or Professor David Rubin (david.rubin@duke.edu or 919-660-5732), at any time. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, you may contact the Chair of the Duke University Human Subjects Committee at ORS-Info@duke.edu or 919-684-3030.

If you would like to participate, please print a copy of this page so that you have this information. Then, enter your initials below, and click "Continue".

"I have read the above and have been given the opportunity to discuss it and ask questions. I also know that I am able and encouraged to ask questions at any time during the study. I understand that my participation is entirely voluntary. I have been informed that I may contact the Principal Investigators, Steve Janssen (919-660-5639) or David Rubin (919-660-5732), to answer questions that I may have during or after the study. I have been informed I may contact the Chair of the Duke University Human Subjects Committee if I have any questions or complaints. I agree to participate as a subject with the understanding that I may withdraw at any time."