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Barbara Kelly_Msc_June_Cohort




                                                             Participation Information Sheet. 

Wired To The Core: How Personality Might Help Shape Self-Perceived Risks Of Internet Use In Relation To Social Media.


Dear Prospective Participant,

You're invited to take part in a research study. Before you make this decision, it is crucial you understand  what research is being done and what participation would involve. Please read the following information very carefully and contact us if something is not completely clear, or if you have any questions. Contact details for the researcher are included on this form. 

After you have read the information, please tick the box to consent. 

Thankyou for your time and attention in reading this. 

Purpose of the study:

With social media a dominant communication force in the modern world (Bowden Green et al, 2020), the aim of this study is to explore the role of the Big 5 characteristics in self-perception regarding Excessive Internet Use (EIU) (Kardefelt-Winther, 2014), specifically regarding the social media networking sites, Facebook, Instagram, X or TikTok. Big 5 personality traits are: Openness; Conscientiousness; Extraversion; Agreeableness; Neuroticism (Costa & McCrae, 1992). This is a fascinating area of study as it pinpoints the role of personality in the study of Excessive Internet Use: and whether or not certain traits contribute to how people self-perceive time spent online.  This study would take a moderate amount of time, comprising: a short form about internet habits, a mini-questionnaire, a time-based form, and a psychometric test called The International Personality Item Pool-BFFM-50 (Appendix 4; Goldberg, 2006) to measure the personality traits of respondents. In all, the study should take between 25-40 minutes to complete. 
Participant inclusion criteria: 
Participants need to be over-18 and to have been active on specific social media sites - Facebook, Instagram, X, or TikTok - in the past 12 months. Participants also need to be conversant in English.
Voluntary participation/withdrawal: 
It is entirely up to you whether you take part in this study. If you decide that you would like to participate, you would be asked to sign a consent form.  You would be free to withdraw at any point prior to data collection without needing to give a reason. However, please note: once data collection commences, the data would be automatically anonymised, and therefore it would be impossible to identify and  retrieve it.

Procedure: 
You will be involved in this research for an estimated at 25-40 minutes.
The study comprises: 
A demographic form asking for age and gender .
One question pertaining to use of social media sites Facebook, Instagram and X in the past 12 months.  
A single-item questionnaire pertaining to self-perception of personal social media usage. 
A simple self-reporting form rating personal frequency of social media usage during the previous 7 days. 
The International Personality Item Pool-BFFM-50. This 50-item psychometric test that assesses Five Factor/Big 5 personality traits: Openness; Conscientiousness; Extraversion; Agreeableness; Neuroticism.

Potential benefits and risks of taking part: 
Though there are no direct benefits for you in taking part, you may find the study to be of interest. You would be completing the International Personality Item Pool-BFFM-50 (Goldberg, 1992), which gives insights into personality. You would also be helping to contribute to knowledge in this ever-expanding field of online research. 
There are no risks for you in taking part outside of those you would experience in everyday life. Risks for this kind of research are judged to be low, but completing the study may be distracting and take more time than envisaged. There is a small risk of becoming preoccupied or even alarmed at the idea of one’s own personal social media usage being excessive. Once data collection commences, it would be impossible to identify and remove the anonymised data. As is the nature of online research, there is a very small risk of data leakage, though this would be safeguarded against. Should you experience any distress, please contact the researcher and you will be directed to university support services and other mental health resources such as the Samaritans free helpline. Please contact the researcher (details provided) if you would like to discuss any issues.
Confidentiality: 
All data given by the participants would remain confidential, following ethical guidelines from the British Psychological Society and the University of Wolverhampton (BPS, 2021; UOW). As is the nature of online research, there is a very low risk of data leakage but this would be safeguarded against, with all appropriate measures taken. No personally identifying data such as names and home addresses would be taken. Data would be automatically anonymised within the QuestionPro research portal and stored securely on password-protected computers and within the university system. 
Information about the end of the research: 
The data would be stored inside the university’s secure system. The anonymised results would be used in analysis and discussion in terms of this research only. These results are intended for use in the partial fulfilment of an MSC in Psychology for which your permission is sought. Anonymised data would be password-protected and stored for two years after the study is completed in line with university policy (UOW). 
Problems and Concerns: 
If participants have a problem or concern about any aspect of this research, prior to taking part in the study or during or after the study, please contact the researcher or Research Supervisor, who will do their best to answer any questions. 
Researcher contact details: B.Kelly3@wlv.ac.uk
The Research Supervisor is Dr. Charles Nimoh and this is his university email address: c.nimoh@wlv.ac.uk
If participants wish to raise concerns about research undertaken at the University of Wolverhampton, please contact the research integrity leads. The senior lead for research integrity is Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research And Knowledge Exchange: Professor Prashant Pillai, MBE at the email address: p.pillai@wlv.ac.uk. The administrative lead is the Research Integrity Manager: Miss Jill Morgan at the email address: J.Morgan4@wlv.ac.uk.
For more information regarding research integrity please visit:
The University of Wolverhampton has incorporated its policies and procedures for Anti-Bribery, Staff Interests, Public Interests, Fraud and Whistleblowing into one Transparency Policy , which is available here: (https://www.wlv.ac.uk/about-us/governance/legal-information/corporate-compliance/transparency/). Please report any concerns to: transparency@wlv.ac.uk
This study is under the supervision of Dr. Charles Nimoh. It has been reviewed and ethically approved by the University of Wolverhampton Research Ethics Committee. 
Contact details for further information:
Researcher: Barbara Kelly
Researcher email address: B.Kelly3@wlv.ac.uk
Additional information: If you decide to participate, and you would like to retain a copy of this Participant Information Sheet and a copy of your signed consent form, please contact the researcher at the email address (above).

Thank you to everyone who is considering participating in this study. 

                                                                                   Consent Form. 

Title of project: Wired To The Core: How Personality Might Help Shape Self-Perceived Risks Of Excessive Internet Use In Relation To Social Media.

Name of researcher: Barbara Kelly.

Please read each statement and tick the box at the end.  

I confirm that I have read and understood the information sheet for the above study, and that I have had the opportunity to ask questions.

I understand that my participation is voluntary and I that I am free to withdraw without giving any reason for doing so up until the point of data-collection, after which my anonymised data will be impossible to identify and retrieve.

I understand that my data will be stored securely and confidentially and that I will not be identifiable in the report. 

I understand that the researcher intends to use the results of this study for the partial fulfilment of a Psychology MSc, for which I give my permission. 

I am over the age of 18 at the time of participation in this study. 

I agree to take part in the above study. 




                                               Single-Item Question Relating To Social Media Usage. 


Please respond to this question relating to your social media usage.

“I consider the time I spend on social media to place me at risk for Excessive Internet Use.” 
  
Please respond Agree or Disagree. 
                                               Single-Item Question Relating To Social Media Usage. Please respond to this question relating to your social media usage.“I consider the time I spend on social media to place me at risk for Excessive Internet Use.”   Please respond Agree or Disagree. 

                                               Form Relating To Social Media Usage Over A 7-Day Period. 


Please tick the appropriate box indicating the frequency of your daily social media usage in the previous 7 days. 



                                               Form Relating To Social Media Usage Over A 7-Day Period. Please tick the appropriate box indicating the frequency of your daily social media usage in the previous 7 days. 
        International Personality Item Pool Psychometric Test  (Costa & McCrae, 1992; Goldberg et al, 2006). 

Please complete the International Personality Item Pool psychometric test (Costa & McCrae, 1992; Goldberg et al, 2006). 

Please rate the following statements on how true they are about you on a five-point scale: 
Disagree, Slightly Disagree, Neutral, Slightly Agree, Agree.

Disagree
Slightly disagree
Neutral
Slightly agree
Agree 
I am the life of the party.
I feel little concern for others. 
I get stressed out easily.
I am always prepared.
I have a rich vocabulary. 
I don't talk a lot.
I am interested in people. 
I am relaxed most of the time. 
I leave my belongings around. 
I have difficulty understanding abstract ideas. 
Disagree
Slightly disagree
Neutral
Slightly agree
Agree 
I feel comfortable around people. 
I insult people. 
I worry about things. 
I pay attention to details. 
I have a vivid imagination. 
I keep in the background. 
I sympathise with others' feelings. 
I seldom feel blue 
I make a mess of things
I am not interested in abstract ideas. 
Disagree
Slightly disagree
Neutral
Slightly agree
Agree 
I start conversations. 
I am not interested in other peoples' problems. 
I am easily disturbed. 
I get chores done right away. 
I have excellent ideas. 
I have little to say. 
I have a soft heart. 
I get upset easily. 
I often forget to put things back in their proper place. 
I do not have a good imagination. 
Disagree
Slightly disagree
Neutral
Slightly agree
Agree 
I talk to a lot of different people at parties.
I am not really interested in others.
I change my mood a lot. 
I like order.
I am quick to understand things. 
I don't like to draw attention to myself. 
I take time out for others. 
I have frequent mood swings. 
I shirk my duties.
I use difficult words. 
Disagree
Slightly disagree
Neutral
Slightly agree
Agree 
I don't mind being the centre of attention. 
I feel others' emotions. 
I get irritated easily. 
I follow a schedule. 
I spend time reflecting on things.
I am quiet around strangers. 
I make people feel at ease. 
I often feel blue.
I am exacting in my work.
I am full of ideas. 
                                                                                Debrief Form.

Thank you for participating in this research study. The purpose of this debrief form is to remind you of key information about the study. 

Title of Study:
Wired To The Core: How Personality Might Help Shape Self-Perceived Risks Of Excessive Internet Use In Relation To Social Media

Principal Investigator:
Barbara Kelly 

Funding Source
This research is unfunded and will contribute towards the completion of a Psychology MSC at the University of Wolverhampton.
 
Purpose of the study. 
With social media a dominant communication force in the modern world (Bowden Green, 2020), the aim of this study is to explore the role of Big 5 characteristics in self-perception regarding Excessive Internet Use  (Kardefelt-Winther, 2014) specifically regarding the social media networking sites, Facebook, Instagram and X. Big 5 personality traits are: Openness; Conscientiousness; Extraversion; Agreeableness; Neuroticism (Costa & McCrae, 1992). This is a fascinating area of study as it pinpoints the role of personality in the study of Excessive Internet Use: and whether or not certain traits contribute to how people self-perceive time spent online. 
This study would expect to see certain personality traits to score high in self-perceived risk for Excessive Internet Use, and for other characteristics to score low in self-perceived risk for Excessive Internet Use. These results would help towards further understanding of the role of self-perception in online use and misuse.
 
Procedures 
This study was conducted online. After giving informed consent to participate, participants were directed to a QuestionPro research portal. There, they completed: a demographic form asking for age and gender; a single-item questionnaire pertaining to self-perception of online use; a form relating to daily social media usage; the IPIP-BFFM-50-item psychometric test (Appendix 4; Goldberg, 1992). Completing these items concluded the research for participants. 

Risks and Benefits
Though there have been no direct benefits for you in taking part, you may have found the study to be of interest. You have completed the International Personality Item Pool-BFFM-50, which gives insights into personality. You have helped to contribute to knowledge in this ever-expanding field of online research. There have been no risks for you in taking part in the study outside of those you would experience in everyday life. Risks for this kind of research are judged to be low, but completing the study may have been distracting and taken more time than envisaged. There is a small risk of you having become preoccupied or even alarmed at the idea of your personal social media usage being excessive. As is the nature of online research, there is a very small risk of data leakage, though this has been safeguarded against. You have been advised that once data collection commences, it is impossible to identify and remove the anonymised data. Should you experience any distress, please contact the researcher and you will be directed to university support services and other mental health resources such as the Samaritans free helpline. Please contact the researcher (details provided) if you would like to discuss anything further.

Confidentiality
All data given by the participants will remain confidential, following ethical guidelines from the British Psychological Society and the University of Wolverhampton (BPS, 2021; UOW). No personally identifying data such as names and home addresses has been taken. As is the nature of online research, there is a very low risk of data leakage but this has been safeguarded against, with all appropriate measures taken. Data has been automatically anonymised and stored securely on password-protected computers and within the university QuestionPro system.

Data Protection 
The utmost care has been taken to ensure participant data remains confidential and secure, There has been no retention of personal identifying details. Data is anonymised and password-protected on the computer of the researcher, and it is secure within the university QuestionPro system. The data will be stored for two years in line with university policy but will not again be accessed after the study. Data was automatically anonymised as it was taken through the QuestionPro portal. 
As this is Internet Mediated Research (IMR), all British Psychological Society guidelines have been followed regarding online research (BPS, 2021) . Participants have been warned of the potential insecure nature of online information transfer, but this is low-risk and appropriate security measures have been taken regarding data, including password-protection and storage within a secure QuestionPro system. Once the study is completed, data will be securely stored for two years in line with University of Wolverhampton (UOW) policy. 

Withdrawal From The Study
Please contact the researcher if there are concerns. Participants have been informed that they were able to withdraw at any point of the research up until the point of data-collection, after which the data would be anonymised within the QuestionPro system and impossible to identify and retrieve. 

Contact Information:
If you need to contact the researcher, you can do so at the following email address: B.Kelly3@wlv.ac.uk. If you would like to raise any concerns with the study you have just participated in, you may contact the supervisor of the researcher at this email address: c.nimoh@wlv.ac.uk.

What If I Have A Problem Or Concern?  
If you have a concern about any aspect of this study, you should ask to speak with the researcher who will do their best to answer your questions. If  you wish to raise concerns about research undertaken at the University of Wolverhampton, please contact the research integrity leads. The senior lead for research integrity is Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research And Knowledge Exchange: Professor Prashant Pillai, MBE at the email address: p.pillai@wlv.ac.uk. The administrative lead is the Research Integrity Manager: Miss Jill Morgan at the email address: J.Morgan4@wlv.ac.uk.
For more information regarding research integrity please visit:
The University of Wolverhampton has incorporated its policies and procedures for Anti-Bribery, Staff Interests, Public Interests, Fraud and Whistleblowing into one Transparency Policy , which is available here: (https://www.wlv.ac.uk/about-us/governance/legal-information/corporate-compliance/transparency/). Please report any concerns to: transparency@wlv.ac.uk.

Thank you for participating in this study.





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