Research Background

Since the early work of Spitz, 1945 exposed that infrequently touched human infants displayed developmental arrest and depression, and Harlow’s (1958) rhesus monkey experiments showed that touch deprivation and/or negative touch shapes maladaptive behaviour, and positive touch, which indicates protection, security and human warmth, promotes neurological and socio-emotional development in humans the importance of touch physically and psychologically has been recognised. These early findings in line with Bowlby’s attachment theory and Young’s works on early childhood schemas provides an excellent foundation from which to consider how individual attachment styles relate to the importance of developmental physical contact for infants, in childhood years, throughout adolescent and in adulthood. Therefore the aim of this project is to investigate the relationships between early childhood schema development, adult attachment and interpersonal touch in a population over 18 years.

Participant Experience

Participation in the following study is voluntary and participants may withdraw at any time without penalty or the need to provide an explanation.

Participants are invited to complete an online anonymous survey. The survey will ask demographic questions relevant to participant's age, gender, family type, sexual identity, sexual preferences. Also administered will be four standardised surveys, The Relationship Structures (ECR-RS) questionnaire, Touch Avoidance Questionnaire (TAQ), Touch Avoidance Measure (TAM) and the Young Schema Questionnaire – Short Form (YSQ-S3).

Participant will be asked to confirm consent before commencing the online questionnaires and submission upon completion will be considered to further to confirm consent.

Duration

Participants will be invited to volunteer approximately 1 hour of their time to participate in the study.

Ethics Approval

University of the Sunshine Coast Ethics Approved: S/16/961

Risks

There are no anticipated specific risks involved in participating in the project. However, some participants may experience a level of discomfort or unhappiness when answering the survey as some questions may be considered personal or sensitive in nature. If any distress is experienced when answering items, please contact the following services: Lifeline 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467, Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636.

Confidentiality

Data gathered throughout the study will be coded so that no participants will be personally identifiable (i.e., it will not be possible to find out which data belongs to any specific participant). No published findings will reveal the identity of any participant.

Future Use of Data

As individuals participating in this research cannot be identified participation provides consent that data collected maybe used in this and future research projects, as well as by other researchers, to assist with future collaboration and utilisation of research data.

Investigators

Gerald McCormack (Student Researcher), Faculty of Arts, Business and Law, Email: gdm002@student.usc.edu.au

Professor Doug Mahar, Professor of Psychology & Head of School, Social Sciences Faculty of Arts, Business and Law, University of the Sunshine Coast, Email: dmahar@usc.edu.au, Tel. +61 7 54565422

Complaints

If have any complaints about the way this research project is conducted, please raise them with the Student Researcher or Chief Investigator. If you prefer an independent person, contact the Chairperson of the Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of the Sunshine Coast:

(c/- the Research Ethics Officer, Office of Research, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC 4558; telephone (07) 5459 4574; e