Informed Consent 
 
Researcher/Principal Investigator: Jacob Ford Perry; Samuel Moncata

Project Title: Tai Chi: A Whole System Approach Towards Understanding Differential Effects of Variations in Continued Practice on Psychological Flexibility Processes   
 
 
Key Information 

Consent for Research: 
This is a consent form for participating in a research study. Your participation is completely voluntary. 

Study Summary

Purpose: 
The purpose of this research is to measure the relationship between specific types of Tai Chi practice, specific exercise habits, and several aspects of mental wellbeing. The goal is to measure and compare specific beneficial mental processes experienced by those that practice Tai Chi, and those that exercise. In addition, this study intends to explore how practicing Tai Chi in different ways, such as with a partner or alone, or exercising for different amounts of time each week, may affect how individuals experience these specific beneficial mental processes.

Procedures: 
You will be asked to complete an electronic survey containing 109 multiple choice questions. The survey contains questions related to: Tai Chi practice, engagement in exercise, beneficial mental processes, physical sensations, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms.

Length of Participation: 
The study will take approximately 20 minutes of participation.

Risks or Discomforts: 
The risks of participating within this study include: answering questions related to physical sensations, depression symptoms, and anxiety symptoms.

Benefits: 
There are no direct benefits of participating in this study.

Alternatives Treatments and Procedures: 
There are no alternative ways to participate in this study.
 

What is this form? 
This form describes important information about a research study. Please read the whole form carefully and ask any questions you may have. 
 
Jacob Perry, a current Psy. D. student within William James College’s Psy. D. program is asking you to take part in this research project. You can volunteer to take part in this study, but you do not have to. If you want to take part, I will ask you to click “I agree” at the bottom of this page if you are willing to give your informed consent. 
Why is this research study being done? 
My name is Jacob Perry, I am a student within William James College’s Psy. D. program. I am conducting this research study as part of my doctoral degree in psychology. I am asking you to take part in this research project because you are 18-years or older in age. The goal of this research project is to learn about the relationship between specific methods of practicing Tai Chi, specific exercise habits, and specific mental processes that support wellbeing.

What will happen in this study?  
If you choose to take part in this study, you will be asked to click “I agree” at the bottom of this page. You will only go through this study if you agree to take part. You will then be directed to a page where you will be asked to complete an electronic survey containing 109 multiple choice questions. The survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Upon completing and submitting answers to the electronic survey, participants will be able to view and download a debriefing form from within the same webpage as the electronic survey providing more details concerning the intention of this study.
 
What are the possible risks and discomforts? 
This study does not have more risk than what you may encounter in everyday life. Possible discomforts related to participation in this study include answering questions related to: physical sensations, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms.
 
What are the possible benefits? 
You will not benefit from taking part in this study. I hope that in the future, other people might benefit from this study by learning about how specific types of Tai Chi practice, and engagement in specific exercise practices relate to mental processes that support psychological wellbeing. 
 
Will I be paid or compensated for taking part in this study? 
Participants will not be paid for engagement in this study.
 
How will you protect my information and my privacy?  
For the whole study, I will keep your information anonymous. I will not collect your location, IP address, or any personally identifiable information. I will password protect and encrypt all electronic data files that I download from the Qualtrics website. Only my Doctoral Project Committee and I will have access to your anonymous responses. If a report or article is written about this research project, your identity will be protected to the maximum extent possible. 
 
How will my information be used in the future? 
This research study will only collect anonymous information. This information might be used in future research. This means that I or other researchers might use or analyze your responses in new research studies. However, this information will not be tied to your identity in any way. All future studies will be subject to IRB review and approval.  Study data will be stored on Dr. Samuel Moncata’s William James College OneDrive account for 7 years following completion of this study. Only Samuel Moncata will have access to this account.
 
 
Can I stop taking part in the study after starting? How? 
 
Taking part in this research is completely voluntary and entirely up to you. You may choose to not take part at any point before finalizing and submitting survey responses. After providing consent to take part in the survey, completing the electronic survey, and reading about how to access debriefing information concerning the results of the study, participants will have a final opportunity to approve of their responses being included in the survey by pressing a button labeled “Finalize and Submit Responses”. Closing the webpage prior to clicking this button will ensure that no responses are saved. After clicking this button, participation in this study cannot be reversed given the anonymous nature of the responses. The responses gathered by this study’s survey do not gather identifying information and therefore individual responses cannot be identified for deletion.

What are my rights as someone taking part in this study? 
 
You have the right to not take part in this research study. You also have the right to not click “I agree” at the bottom of this page, to not click “Finalize and Submit Responses” on the final page of the electronic survey, and to close the webpage, all of which will ensure your information is not utilized for this research study. But if you do not click “I agree”, you cannot take part in the study. 
 
You have the right to skip any questions that you do not feel comfortable answering. Even if you start taking part in the study, you have the right to stop taking part at any time. There will be no consequences for skipping questions or dropping out from the study. 
 
You have the right to get a copy of this consent form. Please visit:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14p_cJHAsdnK2ow7VzXBePwEhM7jBffMcrVnQqepgmr8/edit?usp=sharing
 for a copy of this consent form. You have the right to ask any questions you have or request more information to help you choose whether to take part or not. Such inquiries may also be made through this email.
 
If I have questions about this study, whom can I contact?    
If you have any questions or comments about this research, you can contact myself, Jacob Perry (Jacob_Perry@williamjames.edu). or my doctoral project chair, Samuel Moncata (Samuel_moncata@williamjames.edu). Both of us check our email frequently during the week and will respond as promptly as possible. 
 
This research study was reviewed and approved according to the William James College IRB procedures for research with human subjects.  
 
You can contact a William James College IRB representative if you want to talk to someone who is not involved in this research. You can also contact this person if you have questions or concerns about your rights as a participant, or if you want to report a concern or complaint. Please contact: 
 
Dr. Brian D. Ott, PhD 
Institutional Review Board Chair  
William James College 
 
1 Wells Ave 
Newton, MA 02459 
 E-mail: brian_ott@WilliamJames.edu  
or irb@WilliamJames.edu    
 
Statement of Informed Consent 
By clicking the “I agree to participate” button below, you indicate: 
  • You are at least 18 years of age
  • You have read this consent form, or someone has read this form to you. 
  • You understand the information that has been explained to you.  
  • You voluntarily agree to participate in this research study.  
If you agree to participate, please click “I Agree to Provide Consent” below to continue with the survey.