INFORMED CONSENT
Research Project Title: Eyewitness Memory
Researchers: Madison Enns and Dr. Evan Curtis
Email: evan_curtis@boothuc.ca
Phone Number: 1-204-924-4881
This consent form, which you can copy and save directly to your computer, is only part of the informed consent process. It should give you the basic idea of what the research is about and what your participation will involve. If you would like more detail about something mentioned here, or information not included here, you should contact Dr. Evan Curtis. Please take the time to read this carefully and to understand any accompanying information.
Purpose: This experiment examines memory and the ability to recall information.
Procedure: In this experiment, you will view a video. Then, you will complete a set of math problems. Finally, you will be asked some questions about the video
Risk: There are no serious risks associated with this experiment. However, you are free to discontinue participation at any time and with no consequences
Data collection devices: All stimuli will be presented on the computer monitor and all responses will be collected using your computer keyboard and mouse.
Anonymity and confidentiality: No identifying information will be attached to your response file and so it will be impossible for anyone (including the experimenter) to link your name to your response file.
Storage of data: Your response file will be kept indefinitely on a password protected computer in a folder protected by another unique password. If the research is published we will be obliged to provide your data file to researchers who request them. In that case we would provide a copy of your data file. However, we will not provide any information that could identify you as a participant.
Feedback: A written description of the study and the hypotheses that it is designed to address will be provided to you following the experiment. We hope that you are interested in the resaerch and we will be happy to answer any further questions you might have about it. You may choose to received a summary of the results of the experiment by providing an email address following the experiment. If you provide an email address, we will email you the results and conclusions of the experiment by May, 2019.
Your acceptance of the terms on this form indicates that you have understood to your satisfaction the information regarding participation in the research project and agree to participate as a participant. In no way does this waive your legal rights nor release the researchers, sponsors, or involved institutions from their legal and professional responsibilities. You are free to withdraw from the study at any time, and / or refrain from answering any questions you prefer to omit, without prejudice or consequence.
This research has been approved by the Research Ethics Board (REB) at Booth University College in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EXPERIMENT
I have read and understood the above material. I consent to participate and permit my responses to be used for research purposes. I understand that I may withdraw, without penality, at any time.
I consent to participate in this experiment.
You are about to watch a video depicting a crime. Try to remember as many details about the video as possible. Take the time now to check that your volume is at a comfortable level. Click on the button below to proceed.
In a previous version of this experiment, we had participants write a detailed report of the video. We also had the participants write a brief autobiographical description of themselves based on a set of questions we provided. Here are the biography and report from one of the participants:
Biography
My name Anita Phillips. I am 59 years old and was born on November 4th, 1959. I work as a locksmith in Lethbridge, Alberta. I live with my husband in a small condominium. My favorite color is purple and drive a 2007 Volkswagen Jetta. My husband and I have a daughter in Calgary, Alberta and a son who lives in Regina, Saskatchewan. We are the proud grandparents of two beautiful granddaughters. We like to spend any of our spare time visiting our children and grandchildren.
Report of Video
The video begins with a close-up of a Rolex watch worn by a woman wearing a helmet and an all-black outfit. From there, a sidewalk with various buildings is visible. One, AKT Travel, has a bike outside the office. Farther down the sidewalk, there are trees with their leaves blowing in the wind. The woman wearing the helmet presses the buzzer for Unit 1.
The next shot includes a red-haired woman sitting at her desk. She responds to the buzzer and the woman with the helmet is seen through the security camera attached to the buzzer. Behind her, a bus drives by. When the office worker hangs up the phone on the security system, there is a photograph of two wolves, a comic strip, and a couple of postcards around the security system.
The video then switches to show a view through a security camera placed directly observing the desk of the office worker. The woman with the helmet enters the office and drops off two items to the office worker. First an envelope, then a letter. The office worker takes and looks at each item before handing back the letter. The office worker leaves the room. The woman with the helmet closes the laptop before picking it up and leaving the building. When opening the door to leave, she is seen pulling the door open. There are three visible men seen across the street as she is leaving.
When the office worker returns to her desk, she is holding a coffee mug. When she realizes her laptop is missing, she runs out of the building. The number on the AKT Travel building was 260. The building is a dark grey building with a white building next to it. The office worker is seen wearing blue shoes as she chases the thief down the sidewalk.
There is a woman with two white bags seen also walking down the street. She is wearing a long-sleeve shirt. The thief runs into the woman with the bags as she runs away. The thief runs around the corner while the office worker pulls out her phone to call 911. The helmet is seen being thrown into a patch of overgrown, green grass with a fence around it.
Once you have read the biography and report, please click the button below to move to the next part of the experiment.
First, thank you very much for taking part in our study.
This study was focused on a phenomenon known as the misinformation effect. Memory is often accurate. However, it is also prone to mistakes. A common error is forgetting something that did happen. However, people also remember details or events that never happened.
During the experiment you watched a video. After the video was complete, you were given a report that we said was written by another participant. Half of the participants, including you, were given detailed information about the participant. However, all of the reports were written ahead of time and all personal information was fake.
For half of the participants, there were seven key items that differed between the slideshow and the report: whether the bags the woman on the street is carrying are white or yellow, whether AKT Travel is in building 260 or 262, whether the door of the office building needs to be pushed or pulled, whether the theif's watch is a Rolex or Oris, whether there are 2 or 3 men standing in the background as the thief leaves the office, whether the office worker's cup is a coffee mug or glass, and whether the office worker's shoes are blue or orange. You were one of the mislead participants.
Typically, people are more likely to make errors on those mislead questions. We are examining whether the social salience of the information plays a role. We are predicting that the effect of misinformation will be stronger when it is presented in the context of a personal biography. The research is aimed at understanding social factors in memory errors and ultimately at improving policies and procedures around eyewitness testimony.
If you have any questions about the research, please contact Dr. Evan Curtis at evan_curtis@boothuc.ca or 1-204-924-4881.
If you would like to receive a summary of the results, please provide your email in the space below. If you would like to withdraw your data, please select the option below.
Email address (optional)
I want to withdraw my data from analysis.
Click on the button below to complete the experiment and submit your HIT.
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