Information Sheet on Study Procedures

NAME OF INVESTIGATOR: Gretchen Chapman, Ph.D.

VACCINATION GAME STUDY: You are invited to participate in a computerized game experiment about how patients make decisions about vaccination. Participants in this study will be current Rutgers students.

PURPOSE: Decisions about vaccinations (such as whether to get a flu shot) are influenced by many factors, including the risks and benefits to oneself and the vaccination behavior of other people. This experiment will examine those factors.

DURATION:
You will complete a computer session that takes about 60 minutes to finish.

PROCEDURES:
You will complete a computerized experiment in which you play a vaccination game with 9 other players. In each round of the game, you and all the other players will decide whether to “vaccinate” against a fictitious disease. You will earn points determined by your decisions and the decisions of the other players. At the end of the game you will be paid according to the points you accumulate.

SUBJECTS:
You will be one of about 200 people to participate in this study.

EXCLUSIONS:
You should not participate if you do not have access to the internet or are not able to complete an English-language study. If you are less than 18 years of age, you should not participate.

RISKS/DISCOMFORTS:
There are no risks to participating in this study.

BENEFITS:
There are no direct benefits to you from this study. Researchers will benefit because your responses will aid the understanding of how people make vaccination decisions.

CONFIDENTIALITY:
At the beginning of the study you will provide your name, e-mail address, and mailing address. These will be to give you payment. These identifiers are not stored in the data file with your responses. If the findings from the study are published, you will not be identified by name. Your identity will remain confidential unless disclosure is required by law.

PAYMENT FOR PARTICIPATION:
As thanks for your participation in this study, you will be paid in cash according to the number of points you accumulate in the game. You could earn up to $20.00. When you receive the cash you will be required to sign a receipt and print your name and social security number. If you are participating for RPU credit, you will also receive 3 RPUs. If you are not participating for credit, you will also receive the gift certificate mentioned by the experimenter as thanks for participation.

RIGHT TO REFUSE OR WITHDRAW:
Your participation is voluntary and you may refuse to participate or may discontinue your participation at any time without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. If you do not wish to participate, simply do not log into the computerized experiment.

INDIVIDUALS TO CONTACT:
If you have any questions about participating in this study, you can contact Prof. Gretchen Chapman, Rutgers University Psychology Department, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, (732) 445-2640, gbc@rci.rutgers.edu.

If you have any questions about your rights as a research subject, you can contact the Sponsored Programs Administrator of the Rutgers IRB, (732) 932-0150 ext. 2104, 3 Rutgers Plaza New Brunswick NJ 08901, gibel@orsp.rutgers.edu.

Version 1.2G, March 25, 2008
Rutgers IRB protocol 06-317Mc, approved 11/02/09, expires 11/01/10