Participant Information Sheet

Thank you for your interest in our project. Please read this information sheet carefully before deciding whether or not to participate. If you decide to participate, we thank you. If you decide not to take part, there will be no disadvantage to you of any kind and we thank you for considering our request.

Title of Study:
Personal Memories, Attention Bias, and Mental Health

Objective:
In this study, we aim to explore the relationship between personal memories, attention, and mental health.

We aim to recruit 130 participants to join this study. The inclusion criteria for participants are as follows:
  1. Between the ages of 18 and 60 years old.
  2. Have corrected to normal vision. This study will use an eye tracker, hence participants will need to have 20/20 vision or wear contact lenses for corrected vision.
  3. Able to travel physically to Sunway University for the second session of the study.
Procedure:
The study will be divided into 2 sessions. Session 1 will be done online, whereas Session 2 will be done physically at the Sunway University Eye Tracking Lab.

Should you agree to participate in this study and meet the inclusion criteria of the study, you will be directed to Session 1 of the study which will be conducted online. This session will require you to rate a word list, and will take approximately 10-15 minutes.

Following that, you will be given a link to book a slot for Session 2. Session 2 will be conducted physically at Sunway University Eye Tracking Lab. This session will require you to recall and rate personal memories based on cue words given, complete an activity using the eye tracker device, and fill in 3 questionnaires measuring your mental health and memory recollective experiences. The session will take approximately 40-50 minutes.

Right to Refuse or Withdraw:
Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary. Please note that you may decide not to take part in the project at any time during the data collection without any disadvantage to yourself of any kind. You are also free to withdraw at any point while completing the study, and your data will not be collected further. If you withdraw before completing the study, the data and information you have provided will be removed. However, if you withdraw after completing the study, the withdrawal of submitted data is not possible due to the anonymous nature of the data collected.

Risks and Discomforts:
There are no foreseeable significant risk or side effects from participating in this study. However, it is possible you may experience some discomfort or exhaustion while attempting to recall personal memories, use the eyetracker, and complete the questionnaires. You may take a break at any point during the study if you feel the need to do so.

Should you experience any discomfort or feel upset from answering questions within this study, below are some mental health and support services that you may contact should you need some additional support:
  • Befrienders: Call 03-76272929 (free 24/7) OR email sam@befrienders.org.my
  • Talian Kasih: Call 15999 (free 24/7) OR WhatsApp: 019-2615999
  • Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA): Call 03-27806803 (free Monday-Friday 9am-5pm)
Compensation:
You will be compensated a RM20 Touch and Go voucher for your participation. After completing BOTH sessions of the study, your name and email address will be recorded, and the Touch and Go voucher will be em
Anonymous and Confidential Data Collection:
Data will be linked to Participant IDs upon completion of the survey. Personal details (name and email) will be kept separately and solely for the purpose of redeeming the compensation. All identifying data (Participant ID, name, and email) will be deleted one month upon the voucher being sent out, to ensure your responses in the survey are anonymous.

Data from you will be kept confidential. Only those directly involved in the study (e.g., the researchers) will have access to them. Data will be stored on password-protected computers and data storage facilities.

The research data will be processed and used in line with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) of Malaysia, whereby participants are not identified nor harmed as a result of the research. Aggregated and deidentified results of this study may be published and every attempt will be made to preserve your confidentiality.

Confidentiality of Records:
Only those directly involved in the study (e.g., researchers) will have access to the raw data. Any identifying information will be anonymized. Any personal information held on the participants may be destroyed at the completion of the research even though the data derived from the research will, in most cases, be kept for longer. Data obtained as a result of the research will be retained for at least 5 years in secure storage.

Who to Contact with Questions:
If you have any questions about our project, either now or in the future, please feel free to contact:

Dr Michele Anne
Principal Investigator
michelea@sunway.edu.my

Memory research team
memoryresearch.sunway@gmail.com

This study has been approved by Sunway University Institutional Review Board (Approval code: 2025/REC0085). If you have any concerns about the ethical conduct of the research, you may contact the Committee through the Human Ethics Committee Administrator (03-7491 8622 ext 7546; researchethics@sunway.edu.my). Any issue you raise will be investigated and you will be informed of the outcome.

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