We are researchers from Towson University conducting a study on the experiences of gender dysphoria in transgender individuals. If you choose to participate in this research, you will be asked to complete a brief online survey, which should take approximately 25-30 minutes to complete. During the survey, you will be asked to think about your experiences of gender dysphoria and provide examples of these feelings. You will also be presented with traditional measures of gender dysphoria and asked how well they capture, or fail to capture, your experiences. We hope to use this information to improve existing measures and the current understanding of dysphoria.
Your participation is entirely voluntary. You are not obligated to respond to any questions that you are uncomfortable answering. The survey is designed so that you can indicate "no answer" for individual questions and remain in the study. You may also withdraw from the study at any time without incurring any penalties.
If you decide to participate in this survey, you will not be asked to give information that would allow anyone to identify you. You will not be asked to provide your personal information and your IP address will not be recorded.
There are minimal risks associated with your participation. Risk may be more likely if you are uncomfortable thinking about negative and/or uncomfortable thoughts and feelings related to your gender identity. There is the possibility that in some cases thinking about some aspects of your gender could cause distress. You may exit the survey at anytime. Should you feel that you need further assistance, please call the Fenway Health LGBT Helpline at 888.340.4528 (toll free) or the Trans Lifeline 877.565.8860 (toll free).
Even though there are no direct benefits or incentives for participating in this study, we hope that the results of the study will shed light on the experience gender dysphoria in transgender individuals.
Completion of this survey signifies your voluntary consent to participate in this research and that you are at least 18 years of age. You may discontinue your participation in this study at any time by clicking "Exit this survey" in the upper-right-hand corner of the screen.
The Towson University Institutional Review Board has approved this study. If you have any questions regarding this research or its purposes, please contact the faculty advisor for this project, Dr. Paz Galupo, at pgalupo@towson.edu. If you have any questions pertaining to your rights as a participant, please contact Dr. Elizabeth Katz, Chairperson of the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Participants, at (410)704-2236.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
M. Paz Galupo, Ph.D. Lex Pulice-Farrow, M. A. Towson University