Dear Participant:

You have been invited to take part in this research project because you have clicked on a link expressing your interest to an online advertisement of this study. This Plain Language Information Statement contains detailed information about the project, please read it carefully. Its purpose is to explain to you clearly what this project will require so that you can make an informed decision on whether or not to participate.

Early infant attachment to caregivers is said to have an impact on relationships later in life, including how one views social interactions. This study aims to examine whether early infant attachment styles can affect individuals’ current anxieties in social situations. To examine this, we aim to have approximately 150 participants take part in this research project.

You are invited to take part in this research project if you are over the age of 18. If you choose to participate in this research you are required to fill out an online questionnaire asking you questions about yourself and your relationships. Participating in this study will take up approximately 15-20 minutes of your time. You will first be asked to answer some demographic information (e.g. age, gender) then the questionnaire will proceed to ask you questions on various measures (e.g. Experiences in Close Relationships, Social Interaction Anxiety, Locus of Control, Coping Style in Social Situations and Self-Determination).

We do not anticipate any risks or harm to you by participating in this study, but should you require any further information or have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact the principal or student researcher on the contact details outlined at the top of this page. The information you supply will be aggregated and no individual will be identified. The results will be published in a thesis and perhaps in a journal or conference setting, if you would like a brief summary of these results please contact the student researcher as outlined at the top of the page. Data pertaining to this study will be kept safe for a required minimum period of 5 years, then destroyed. If you are caused any distress by participating in this study or change your mind about consenting to it please discontinue or withdraw at any stage and your results will not be used in the study. There are no consequences for withdrawing from the study and doing so will not affect any of your relationship with anyone at Cairnmillar. In order to keep the anonymity of the participants, no individuals can be identified after submitting their results therefore if you wish to withdraw, please do so before submitting. In any case that you do become distressed and require support please contact one of the following services which are open 24/7 and run by mental health professionals:



• Lifeline 13 11 14

• Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636



This study has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at The Cairnmillar Institute and will comply with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, 2007). If you would like further information regarding this study, if you have any concerns regarding this project, or you wish to withdraw your participation, please contact the research supervisor or myself at any time. 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 also contact the Secretary to the Human Research Ethics Committee. All contact details can be found below.



Secretary to the HREC

The Cairnmillar Institute

993 Burke Road

Camberwell VIC 3124

Phone: 03 9813 3400

Email: hrec@cairnmillar.edu.au