Full Project Title: Facial emotion recognition: A normative study

Ethics Reference Number: 2012-260

Principal Researcher: Dr. Linda Byrne, Prof. Jane McGillivray

Student Researcher: Ms. Kate Argentino, Ms. Alexandra Head

1. Your Consent

You are invited to take part in this research project. Please read this Plain Language Statement carefully. Feel free to ask questions about any information in the document. Once you understand what the project is about, and if you agree to take part in it, you will be asked to provide consent by clicking “Agree” at the bottom of the page. By clicking this box, you indicate that you understand the information and that you give your consent to participate in the research project.

2. Purpose and Background

Some mental health and neurological conditions have been shown to affect the way that people recognise and express emotional facial expressions, including Schizophrenia and Autism. Our project aims to collect information on facial emotion expression recognition of faces, and to explore whether there are differences in the recognition of facial emotion expression between different groups of people.

3. Funding

This research is funded by Deakin University. There are no conflicting interests by any of the researchers, sponsors or institutions.

4. Procedures

If you agree to participate in this research, at the beginning of the session you will be asked a series of questions about yourself and your experiences.

Next, you will be asked to watch some videos of other people making facial expressions, and then will be asked to rate what expression the person is making, how confident you are of your choice, and how natural you think the expression is.

5. Possible Benefits

Although it is not anticipated that participants will benefit directly from this research, the findings will contribute toward further understanding the nature of Schizophrenia and Autism, which will benefit the broader community.

6. Possible Risks

This project does not involve participants recording any personal information. As such, there are no foreseeable risks for participants resulting from participation in this research.

7. Privacy, Confidentiality and Disclosure of Information

The data collected will be accessible only by the primary researchers and it will be stored securely in a locked cabinet or password protected digital folder at Deakin University during the conduct of the project and for 6 years thereafter, at which time it will be destroyed.

In addition, there will be no personal identifiers attached to the stored data; therefore the identities of all participants will be completely private.

8. Results of Project

Results of this research project will be reported as part of the student researcher’s Doctor of Psychology (Clinical) thesis, and may also be used in part toward publications in peer reviewed scientific journals, or at public conferences. In any publication, or public presentation of findings, data will be reported as group findings, with no possibility of any individuals being identified.

9. Participation is Voluntary

Participation in any research project is voluntary. If you do not wish to take part you are not obliged to. If you decide after commencing the questionnaires that you do not wish to continue, then you do not need to do so. Please note that as the questionnaire is anonymous, you are not individually identifiable, and therefore once the questionnaire has been processed, it will not be possible for you to withdraw from the research.

10. Ethical Guidelines

This project will be carried out according to the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) produced by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. This statement has been developed to protect the interests of people who agree to participate in human research studies. The ethics aspects of this research project have been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of Deakin University.

11. Complaints

If you have any complaints about any aspect of the project, the way it is being conducted or any questions about your rights as a research participant, then you may contact:

The Manager

Office of Research Integrity

Deakin University

221 Burwood Highway

Burwood, Victoria 3125

Phone: 9251 7129

Facsimile: 9244 6581

Email: research-ethics@deakin.edu.au

Please quote project number [2012-260].

12. Reimbursement for your participation

You will not be paid for your involvement in this project.

13. Further Information, Queries or Any Problems

If you require further information, wish to withdraw your participation or if you have any problems concerning this project, you can contact one of the researchers.

Contact details of the researchers:

Dr Linda Byrne 221 Burwood Highway

Burwood 3125

Phone: 9244 6424

linda.byrne @deakin.edu.au

Kate Argentino 221 Burwood Highway

Burwood 3125

Phone: 0403 258 313

kargenti@deakin.edu.au