January 2016
Dear Participant:
You are being asked to participate in a study conducted by Principal Investigator Dr. Megan Dillow in the Department of Communication Studies (COMM) at West Virginia University, along with Co-Investigators Dr. Jennifer Bevan at Chapman University, Dr. Amanda Denes at the University of Connecticut, and Dr. Pamela Lannutti at LaSalle University.
The study investigates participants’ perceptions of their romantic partners having an interaction with someone else. You are eligible to participate in this study if you are 18 years of age or older and are currently in a monogamous, heterosexual romantic relationship.
You may be eligible to earn extra credit in a COMM course for your participation in this study. Many COMM courses offer extra credit to enrolled students for completing research studies conducted by COMM faculty. If you have questions about whether you as a student are eligible for extra credit for participating in this study, or how much extra credit you are eligible for as a result of participating in this study, please consult your course syllabus or speak with your instructor.
The research procedures involve completing this anonymous, online survey. If you decide to participate, you will be presented with a scenario where you are asked to imagine that your romantic partner has interacted intimately with another person who could be a potential romantic rival. You will then be asked your thoughts and feelings about the scenario. Your participation in this study will take approximately 20-25 minutes of your time.
If you decide to participate, please complete the survey independently and be sure to read each section carefully and answer all questions honestly. There are no right or wrong answers. Participation in this study is completely voluntary. You may skip certain questions if you want and you may stop completing the survey at any time without fear of penalty. This study addresses what some may consider a sensitive topic. If this makes you uncomfortable, you may not want to participate in this study.
If you would like more information about this research project, feel free to contact Dr. Dillow via email. Institutional Review Board acknowledgement of this research study is on file.
Thank you for your participation, it is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Dr. Megan R. Dillow, Associate Professor
West Virginia University
Principal Investigator
mrdillow@mix.wvu.edu
Dr. Jennifer Bevan, Professor
Chapman University
Co-Investigator
bevan@chapman.edu
Dr. Amanda Denes, Assistant Professor
University of Connecticut
Co-Investigator
amanda.denes@uconn.edu
Dr. Pamela Lannutti, Professor
LaSalle University
Co-Investigator
lannutti95@lasalle.edu