Welcome to the male sexuality study. Thank you for your
interest.
Consent to
Participate in a Research Study
Sociosexuality
F12 Part 1
Introduction
You are
being asked to participate in a research study that is being done by
researchers from Oakland University. This study is being done by Guilherme Lopes (graduate student), under the direction of supervising faculty member Dr. Todd
Shackelford (Professor of Psychology), the research Faculty Advisor for this
project. The purpose of this Informed Consent is to let you know more about the
study so you can decide whether to volunteer for the study or not. Please read the form carefully. You may ask
questions about why the research is being done, what you will be asked to do,
the possible risks and benefits, your rights as a volunteer, and anything else
about the research or this form that is not clear. You may talk with your
friends and family about this research study before making your decision. When
all your questions have been answered, you can decide if you want to be in this
study. This process is called ‘informed consent.’ If you decide to
participate, your participation will indicate that you have read this Informed
Consent and that you understand what it says. If you decide to participate, you
will be asked to sign this form and will receive a copy of this form.
Why
is this study being done?
The
present study is designed to examine the sexual behavior of heterosexual men,
in order to determine if human males engage in sperm competition in a manner
that is similar to other species. More specifically, we will be analyzing the
semen that males produce when masturbating under different conditions (i.e.,
imagining different sexual scenarios). The purpose (s) of this research study
is (are) to guide future research concerning male sexual behavior.
Who can
participate in this study?
You
are being asked to participate in the study because you are a sexually active, heterosexual man between the
ages of 18 and 35 years who has been in a committed romantic relationship for
at least three months with a female partner who is also between the ages of 18
and 35. Students from Oakland University are eligible to participate but
participation is not limited to these students. Because we are analyzing men’s
semen quality, men who are receiving fertility treatment or who have received a
vasectomy are excluded from this study.
Who is
sponsoring this study?
None
Where is this
study being done?
Oakland
University campus in Rochester, MI.
What procedures
are involved with this study?
If
you agree to take part in this research study, you will be asked to participate
in the following procedures:
Session 1 – 90 minutes*
·
Watch Orientation Video
·
Sign consent
·
Complete various questionnaires concerning
your sexual behavior (e.g., how long since the last time you had sex?),
relationship satisfaction, and personality
·
Physiological measures are taken (e.g.,
height, weight, grip strength using a device called a dynamometer (a hand held
device that you squeeze to see how strong your hand grip is), head
circumference using a measuring tape, the circumference of your shoulders and
your hips using a measuring tape).
·
Provide a saliva sample by spitting into a
plastic pharmaceutical tube through a clean, disposable straw. We will use your
saliva sample to measure your hormone levels.
·
The researchers will use a microphone to
record your voice while you say aloud each vowel (“a”, “e”, “i”, “o”, and “u”). Your voice recording will be rated by a third
party panel (300 men and 300 women) that
the researchers will recruit from online sources. The researchers will use a
software program to measure the vocal pitch of your voice recordings. (Note: You may choose not to submit your
voice recording, but you can still participate in all other aspects of the
study. You will not be penalized if you choose not to submit your voice
recording).
·
The researchers will also take a digital face
photograph of you. Your photo will be
rated by a third party panel (300 men and 300 women) that the researchers will recruit from online sources. (Note: You may choose not to submit your face
photo, but you can still participate in all other aspects of the study. You
will not be penalized if you choose not to submit your face photo).
·
The researcher reviews the procedures
regarding the production and transportation of semen.
·
Schedule Sessions 2 and 3: Both Sessions 2
and 3 will occur within 14 days of Session 1. Session 3 will occur at least two
days after Session 2. Participants who fail to complete Sessions 2 and 3 within
14 days of Session 1 are excluded from the study.
·
You will be compensated $25 at the end of
Session 1.
Prior to arriving to Session 2
·
Measure testicular volume at home using instructions and measurement tools (i.e., calipers)
that we will provide. To be clear, this measurement will be conducted by you in
the privacy of your own home (or other location of your choosing).
·
Masturbate at home while imagining one of the scenarios
·
Bring semen sample to lab within 60 minutes; call Guilherme Lopes if can’t get to lab in 60 minutes
Session 2 - 30 minutes*
·
Deliver semen sample
·
Complete Session 2 questionnaire
·
You will be compensated $25 at the end of
Session 2.
Prior to arriving to Session 3
·
Measure testicular volume at home using instructions and measurement tools (i.e., calipers)
that we will provide. To be clear, this measurement will be conducted by you in
the privacy of your own home (or other location of your choosing).
·
Masturbate at home while imagining the other scenario
·
Bring semen sample to lab within 60 minutes; call Guilherme Lopes if can’t get to lab in 60 minutes
*Session 3 - 30 minutes*
·
Deliver semen sample
·
Complete Session 3 questionnaire
·
You will be compensated $25 at the end of
Session 3.
*For Sessions 2 and 3: You will be
asked to schedule your sessions 2 and 3 within 14 days of the first laboratory
session and deliver your samples to the laboratory. To be clear, these other
sessions will be the times when you will bring your semen samples to the
laboratory so these sessions should be scheduled at times that will allow you
to collect the samples in close proximity to the scheduled laboratory session
(i.e., within 60 minutes). If issues arise that prevent you from bringing your
sample to the laboratory at the arranged time, then you can simply reschedule
your appointment by calling Guilherme Lopes (248-370-4857). You will collect your
samples at home (or another private place of your choosing) and do your best to
transport these samples to our laboratory within one hour of ejaculation. For
each sample, you will be asked to masturbate while imagining a different
scenario concerning yourself and your romantic partner. After providing each
sample, you will be asked to complete some basic information (e.g., how long
has it been since you had sex with your partner?). We anticipate that it will
take you no more than 30 minutes to drop-off your samples and complete the
questionnaire for each session. To be clear, these estimated times do not
include travel time to (or from) the laboratory or the time spent masturbating
before traveling to the laboratory. If you successfully complete all phases of
the study, then you will receive $75. If you fail to schedule and attend the
appropriate laboratory sessions within 14 days, then you will be excluded from
the study.
Due to the fact that we will ask you to
abstain from sexual activity for at least 48 hours prior to each session, we
strongly encourage you to inform your romantic partner about your involvement
in this study.
After you submit your semen samples to the
laboratory, the researchers will assess your semen quality (e.g., sperm number,
sperm concentration) using an automated semen analysis device. Additionally,
the researchers may mix your semen with the semen from another man and
investigate the interaction between the semen samples under a microscope. We
will retain your semen for up to 48 hours to complete semen mixing procedures. Following these
procedures, specimens and all disposable
materials (e.g., fluorescent dyes, microscope slides, test tubes, pipettes)
will be discarded immediately in the proper receptacle. Materials that come
into contact with the specimen will be discarded in a clearly-marked red
biohazard bag.
After collection of all data
Face photo and
voice recording are rated by third party panelists.
Your face photo and voice recording will be retained for a
third party panel (300 men and 300 women) to rate your face photo and voice
recording on various dimensions (face: attractiveness, masculinity/femininity,
maturity, symmetry, intelligence, dominance, aggressiveness, dominance,
perceived age; voice: attractiveness, masculinity/femininity, maturity,
intelligence, dominance, aggressiveness, dominance, perceived age). The third
party panelists will be recruited from online sources (e.g., Facebook, the
researchers’ personal websites), and all the ratings will be performed entirely
online. There is a possibility that local community members or Oakland
University students might participate in that study, and so some of those
participants may recognize individuals depicted in the stimuli. However, it is
important to note that participants of that online study will not know the
conditions under which the face photos and voice recordings were obtained. After
we secure third party ratings, we will destroy all identifying information,
including your name, face photo, and voice recording.
How long will
participation in this study last?
Session 1 will last approximately 90 minutes,
Session 2 will last approximately 30 minutes, and Session 3 will last
approximately 30 minutes. Sessions 2 and 3 will occur within 14 days of Session
1. Session 3 will occur at least 2 days after Session 2.
The
researcher may stop your participation in this study at any time without your
consent. For example, the researcher may stop your participation in this study
if you fail to complete all three Sessions within 14 days. The Principal
Investigator, Guilherme Lopes, will contact you via phone or email (depending on
the method in which you initiated contact with the research lab) to inform you
that you have been removed from the study.
How many people
will be participating in this study?
100
men
What are the
risks, side effects or discomforts that can be expected from participating in
this study?
By
taking part in this study, you may be at risk for the following:
Participation in this study may be stressful for you
because you will be asked to report your sexual behavior and provide semen
samples to the researchers. If you feel upset or distressed as a result of your
participation in this study, you may want to consider contacting the Oakland
University Graham Health Center (248-370-2341), the Oakland University School
of Education and Human Services Counseling Services (248-370-2633), or Oakland
Family Services in Rochester Hills (866-903-8955). It is important that you
contact the Principal Investigator (Guilherme Lopes, gslopes@oakland.edu), the
Faculty Advisor (Dr. Todd Shackelford, shackelf@oakland.edu), and the Co-Investigators
(Dr. Virgil Zeigler-Hill, zeiglerh@oakland.edu; Dr. Lisa Welling,
welling@oakland.edu) if you are upset by your participation in the present
study. To minimize the risk that someone else may gain access to your
information, all of your responses will be kept in the strictest of confidence
and will not be available to anyone other than the researchers conducting the
study. After you receive payment for participation, we will destroy your
identifying information, with the exception of your face photo and voice
recording, which we will retain for use as stimuli for the third party
panelists to rate. After we complete the part of the study in which third party
panelists rate your face photo and voice recording, we will destroy all
identifying information, including your face photo and voice recording. To
protect your identity, your name will be separated from the information you
provide and replaced with a 3-digit participant identification number. The
researchers will keep a master list linking your name with your 3-digit
participant identification numbers until data collection is complete. This
master list will be kept in a locked laboratory that is separate from the data
on campus in a password-protected computer. This master list will be destroyed
when data collection is complete. This master list is necessary for us to keep
track of the samples that you will provide during the study and to arrange your
payment. The researchers supervising the study (Drs. Shackelford, Zeigler-Hill,
and Welling) and the graduate students conducting the laboratory sessions will
be the only individuals who will have access to this information. The results
of this study will be presented in aggregate form with no identifying
information to ensure your confidentiality. That is, we will only analyze the
data as a group and no identifying information will ever be released.
A
breach of confidentiality is also a possible risk. Breach of confidentiality means that it is
possible that individuals not associated with this research may accidentally
gain access to information that personally identifies participants. Appropriate safeguards are set in place to
minimize a breach of confidentiality (e.g. researcher’s office is secure and
computers and external storage devices are password protected); but no
researcher can ever guarantee that this sort of breach will not occur.
Are there any
known benefits from taking part in this study?
There
are no direct benefits to you for participating in this study. However, the results of this study may benefit
others in the future.
What are the
alternatives to participation in this study?
You
may choose not to participate in this study.
What are the costs of taking part in the
study?
There
is no cost to you for participating in this study.
What
compensation is being provided for participation?
For
taking part in this study, you will be paid for your time and inconvenience: You will be paid $75 for successfully
completing all sessions of the present study. Specifically, you will be paid
$25 at the end of each session. This amounts to $25 per session for 3 sessions.
Session One will last approximately 90 minutes, Session Two will last
approximately 30 minutes, and Session Three will last approximately 30 minutes.
If you fail to schedule and attend the appropriate laboratory sessions within
14 days, then you will be excluded from the study but you will be paid $25 per
session for the sessions that you have completed.
What are your
rights if you participate in this study?
Your
decision to participate in this study is voluntary. You may choose to leave the
study at any time, or refuse to answer any questions that may be asked during
the study. You will not lose any benefits to which you are otherwise entitled
and your decision will not affect your present or future relationship with
Oakland University, the researcher, or the Psychology department. If you are a student or employee at Oakland
University, your decision about participation will not affect your grades or
employment status.
If
you would like to stop participating in this study, you should contact the
researcher Guilherme Lopes (248-370-4857; mnpham@oakland.edu), who will provide instructions on how to withdraw from the study
and any potential consequences for withdrawal.
Any new information that may affect your willingness to participate in the
study will be provided to you as soon as possible.
What will be
done to keep my information confidential?
Every effort will be made
to keep your study-related information confidential.
Personal
information regarding your participation in this study may be disclosed if
required by law. Also, your research records
may be reviewed by the following groups
·
Regulatory
authorities involved in the oversight of research (Office for Human Research
Protections or other federal, state, or international regulatory agencies)
·
Members
or representatives of Oakland University Institutional Review Board (IRB) (in
order to ensure that your rights as a research participant are being protected)
When study results are presented at
professional conferences or published in professional journals, your name will
not be used.
What do you do
if you have questions about the study?
For questions about the study you may contact the Principal Investigator,
Guilherme Lopes (248-370-4857; mnpham@oakland.edu) or the Faculty Advisor, Todd
Shackelford (248-370-2285; shackelf@oakland.edu).
For
questions regarding your rights as a participant in human subjects research,
you may contact the Oakland University Institutional Review Board,
248-370-2762.
--Please click on the "Calender" button below to see currently available time slots.
--Please click on the "Contact" button below if you would like to contact us to participate in this study.
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Calendar
Currently available time slots
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Contact the Male Sexuality Lab
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