INFORMED CONSENT

Research Project Title: Categorization Skills

Researchers: Michelle Pinera 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 your decision making and categorization.

Procedure: In this experiment, you will categorize a set of words and pictures into two groups after reading a short set of lyrics.

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.

The text below shows a short set of lyrics from a recent country song. Please read the lyrics.


Nobody's gonna break it up

Not until we've had enough

And if you think you've got the guts

Then let's take it outside

If you think you're man enough

You really wanna knuckle up

If you wanna shed a little blood

Then let's take it outside


When you have finished reading the lyrics, click on the button below to continue.

In the next part of this experiment, we are going to show you pictures of people's faces. Half of the faces will be of African-American people and half will be of Caucasian people.

Your job is to identify whether the face is African-American or Caucasian as quickly and accurately as possible. You will respond using your keyboard. Please use the "A" key to respond to African-American faces and the "L" key to respond to Caucasian faces.

Each trial will start with a fixation cross in the middle of the screen, followed by the picture of the face. You will receive feedback after each response, and then the next fixation cross will appear.

Click on the button below to proceed.

In the next part of this experiment, we are going to show you English words. Half of the words will be unpleasant and negative and half will be pleasant and positive.

Your job is to identify whether the word is pleasant or unpleasant as quickly and accurately as possible. You will respond using your keyboard. Please use the "A" key to respond to pleasant words and the "L" key to respond to unpleasant words.

Each trial will start with a fixation cross in the middle of the screen, followed by the word. You will receive feedback after each response, and then the next fixation cross will appear.

Click on the button below to proceed.

Now, you are going to perform both the face and word tasks at the same time. Each trial will display either a face or a word.

If the display is a face, your job is to identify whether the face is African-American or Caucasian as quickly and accurately as possible. You will respond using your keyboard. Please use the "A" key to respond to African-American faces and the "L" key to respond to Caucasian faces.

If the display is a word, your job is to identify whether the word is pleasant or unpleasant as quickly and accurately as possible. You will respond using your keyboard. Please use the "A" key to respond to pleasant words and the "L" key to respond to unpleasant words.

Each trial will start with a fixation cross in the middle of the screen, followed by the picture of the face. You will receive feedback after each response, and then the next fixation cross will appear.

Click on the button below to proceed.

Now, you are going to perform the face-categorization task again, but the key responses will reverse.

Your job is still to respond to the faces as quickly and accurately as possible. Now, please use the "L" key to respond to African-American faces and the "A" key to respond to Caucasian faces.

Each trial will start with a fixation cross in the middle of the screen, followed by the picture of the face. You will receive feedback after each response, and then the next fixation cross will appear.

Click on the button below to proceed.

In the last part of this experiment, you are going to perform both the face and word tasks at the same time again. Each trial will display either a face or a word. You will use the new key responses for faces, and the original key responses for words

If the display is a face, your job is to identify whether the face is African-American or Caucasian as quickly and accurately as possible. You will respond using your keyboard. Please use the "L" key to respond to African-American faces and the "A" key to respond to Caucasian faces.

If the display is a word, your job is to identify whether the word is pleasant or unpleasant as quickly and accurately as possible. You will respond using your keyboard. Please use the "A" key to respond to pleasant words and the "L" key to respond to unpleasant words.

Each trial will start with a fixation cross in the middle of the screen, followed by the picture of the face. You will receive feedback after each response, and then the next fixation cross will appear.

Click on the button below to proceed.

As one final question, please indicate which ethnic group(s) do you identify as belonging to:


Asian
Caucasian
Indigenous / Native American
Latin / Latin-American
Middle Eastern
Other

First, thank you very much for taking part in our study.

You have just participated in a study in which you categorized pictures of African-American and Causasian people. You also categorized words that are typically considered pleasant or unpleasant. We were not able to provide you with information related to the goal of the study in advance; this may have seriously affected the way you responded.

Typically, when people, especially Caucasian people, respond to African-American faces with the same key they used to response to unpleasant words, responses are faster. This pattern is typically used to measure implicit associations between African-American faces with negative concepts. Do not worry if this is the pattern you exhibited; the association is caused by many factors (e.g., media portrayals) and it does not mean that you are racist.

We attempted to prime the effect above by presenting you with lyrics from either a country or rap song. The lyrics were either violent or non-violent. Crucially, we lied to half our sample about the genre (you were notone of the deceived participants, the lyrics were from the song Take It Outside by Brantley Gilbert). We predict that just the knowledge that a song, especially a violent song, is from the rap genre will increase the effect described above.

The results in this study will help understand the connections between implicit / unconscious beliefs and viewpoints.

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.