This study is part of a series of broader studies investigating special topics within the furry fandom. The following information is provided so you can decide whether you wish to participate. The topic of the study is therian/otherkin Identity. The purpose of this study is to help us better understand the lived experience of therianthropy/otherkinship.
There are five sections in the study. The first is basic demographic information, such as sex, age, gender identity, race, etc., Second, we ask questions about therian and otherkin identities and related experiences. In the third section we ask questions about bodily experiences, such as shape shifting and phantom limbs. In the fourth section, we ask participants to reflect on their many identities (e.g., gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, neurodiversity/neurodivergence, religion, etc.) and explore if these interact with therian/otherkin identities. The last section asks about potential relationships to nature and ecology and how they may or may not relate to being therian/otherkin. The amount of time the study takes to complete depends on how much information individuals write, how many questions are answered, speed of typing, etc.
Immediately following the informed consent, you will find 4 questions that ask for the first three letters of your mother’s name (or closest figure), your year of birth, three first letters of the name of your high school where you attended grade 9, and your first pet’s name. These answers create a survey code that is unique to you that we can use to identify you without needing any personally identifying information. Why? If you leave or close the window, there is no way for you to retrieve your answers or continue where you left off. These four questions permit us to link your answers together if you are disconnected during the study and/or in other studies we might conduct in the future. If you are disconnected, simply open a new survey (www.surveymonkey.com/r/fursciencetherian2017), fill out the identifier section (immediately following the informed consent) and hit the NEXT button until you arrive at the page where you were last connected and continue to answer the questions as you wish. The unique code also allows participants to leave the study (if needed) and return to answer more questions while permitting the researchers to link responses of the same individual. As is the case with all questions, participants are free to leave this part of the survey blank.
Your participation is completely voluntary. Members of the research team will keep the fact of your participation and the things you say confidential. If you agree to participate, you are encouraged to answer only those questions that you wish to answer, and you are free to withdraw at any time without penalty.
