Dear Research Participant:

Your participation in a research project is requested. The title of the study is Gender and Sexual Orientation Differences in Scent Preferences, Attitudes, and Behaviors. The research is being conducted by Dr. Frank Muscarella, a professor in the Psychology Department at Barry University, and it is seeking information that will be useful in the field of gender and sexual orientation differences. The aims of the research are to look at differences between heterosexual and homosexual men and women on a number of types of behavior and preferences. These include childhood behavior, aggressive behavior, verbal skills, preferences for different scents of cologne/perfume, preferences for sports, preferences for physical characteristics in a romantic partner, and preferences for various sexual behaviors. In accordance with these aims, the following procedure will be used: A questionnaire called the Scents, Attitudes, and Behaviors Scale (SABS) follows this letter. I anticipate the number of participants to be 600.

If you decide to participate in this research, you will be asked to do the following: Answer the questions on Scents, Attitudes, and Behaviors Scale. The scale has a number of questions, but it is estimated to take no more than 35 minutes to complete. As a student in a psychology class at Barry University you can receive 2 extra credit units for your participation.

Your consent to be a research participant is strictly voluntary and should you decline to participate or should you choose to drop out at any time during the study, there will be no adverse effects. If you are a student there will be no effect on your grades.

The risks of involvement in this study are minimal and include possible embarrassment at some of the questions. The following procedures will be used to minimize these risks: You can skip any questions you do not want to answer. There are no direct benefits to you for participating in this study; however, your participation will contribute to a better understanding of the similarities and differences between heterosexual and homosexual men and women. If you are a student you may be able to receive extra credit for your participation. Print a copy of this cover letter as proof of your participation.

As a research participant, information you provide is anonymous, that is, no names or other identifiers will be collected. SurveyMonkey.Com allows researchers to suppress the delivery of IP addresses during the downloading of data, and in this study no IP address will be delivered to the researcher. However, SurveyMonkey.com does collect IP addresses for its own purposes. If you have any concerns about this you should refer to the privacy policy at SurveyMonkey.com.

By completing and submitting this electronic survey you are acknowledging that you are at least 18-years-old and that you voluntarily agree to participate in the study.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the study or your participation in the study, you may contact me, Dr. Frank Muscarella, by phone at (305) 899-3275 or by email at fmuscarella@mail.barry.edu. You may also contact the Institutional Review Board point of contact, Barbara Cook, by phone at (305) 899-3020 or by email at bcook@mail.barry.edu.

This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of Barry University.

Thank you for your participation.

Sincerely,

Frank Muscarella, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology

Print this page if you need proof of participation.