PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET

It is important to be aware of the information that is provided by the Department of Psychology about the general terms and conditions that apply with respect to the processing of personal data.

Please consult our departmental privacy notice:

https://wiki.york.ac.uk/display/PsySharedDocs/Key+information+about+GDPR

1) Background

The University of York and Dr. Adam Baron, would like to invite you to take part in the following research project.

Before agreeing to take part, please read this information sheet carefully and let us know if anything is unclear or you would like further information.  

As this is an online study, if you have any questions or want to discuss any aspect of the study please contact Dr. Adam Baron (adam.baron@york.ac.uk) before completing the consent form.

2) What is the purpose of the study?

The study is designed to measure academic motivation, self-efficacy, resilience, and perceived social support. The aim is to discover whether any of these three factors have a significant influence on academic motivation levels in students. We are also investigating whether gender and age influence academic motivation.

Should you decide to take part, you will be asked to provide your age and gender, and to create a unique anonymous code. You will then be asked to complete four questionnaires relating to academic motivation, self-efficacy, resilience, and perceived social support. The questionnaires will ask you to rate how much you agree or disagree with particular statements using a Likert scale structure (e.g., 0 = Strongly Disagree whilst 4 = Strongly Agree). The term self-efficacy refers to an individual’s perceived ability to accomplish their goals. An example statement from this scale is: “It is easy for me to stick to my aims and accomplish my goals”. Resilience relates to one’s ability to successfully navigate and overcome adversity. An example statement is: “I like challenges”. Perceived social support is a term used to describe the extent to which an individual believes other people are willing and capable of supporting them by providing assistance in various aspects of their lives (e.g., personal or academic). An example item measuring social support is: “There is a special person who is around when I am in need”. Academic motivation describes how enthusiastic and interested an individual is in their own learning and achievements. An example statement from this questionnaire is: “I go to university… Because I experience pleasure and satisfaction while learning new things”.

This study uses questionnaires which may be of a sensitive nature. If you think these questions might negatively affect you, please do not take part in the study. You are free to stop and withdraw from the study at any time before completion without providing a reason. 

This study explores the topic of wellbeing, the questionnaires used only assess traits that naturally vary within the general population. The results of these questionnaires cannot be used for clinical assessment or diagnosis.

You will not be given any feedback about your results.
 

The study will take about 20-30 minutes to complete.

3) Why have I been invited to take part?

You have been invited to take part because you are 18 years or older and are an undergraduate student.

4) Do I have to take part?

No, participation is optional. If you do decide to take part, you will be given the option to download a copy of this information sheet HERE. You will be asked to complete a participant consent form. If you change your mind at any point during the study, you will be able to withdraw your participation without having to provide a reason.

You are free to withdraw from the study prior to 1st March 2025. At the start of the study you will be asked to create and enter a personal (anonymous) code. If you would like to remove your data after study completion, please contact Dr. Adam Baron with your unique code.

5) Will you share my data with 3rd parties?

No personal data (namely, data that could identify who you are) are collected in this project. Anonymised data may be reused by the research team or third parties for secondary research and/or teaching purposes.

6) Will you transfer my data internationally?

We will not share any personal data internationally. Anonymised data might be shared internationally, as explained in the previous section.

7) Will I be identified in any research outputs?

No.

8) Questions or concerns

If you have any questions about this participant information sheet or concerns about how your data is being processed, please contact Dr. Adam Baron in the first instance.

This project received ethics approval from the Ethics Committee in the Department of Psychology at the University of York. If you have any questions you would like to ask the chair of the ethics committee (currently Dr. Angela de Bruin), please contact psyc529@york.ac.uk. If you are still dissatisfied, please contact the University’s Acting Data Protection Officer at dataprotection@york.ac.uk.

Contact Details: Dr. Adam Baron, Department of Psychology, 

The University of York, York, YO10 5DD

Phone: 01904 32 

E-mail: adam.baron@york.ac.uk