Participant Information Sheet
Final version 2.0: 04/05/2023) Title of Study: Examining the Different Aspects of Sexual Fantasy Content Researcher/s: Charlotte Nowell, Ross Bartels
**Content Warning** - This study will involve thinking about and answering questions of a sexual nature, including those related to a sexual fantasy of your choosing. If this is likely to cause discomfort or distress, please do not take part.We are inviting you to take part in a research study.
Before you decide, it is important that you know why we are doing the study and what is involved. Please read the following information carefully.
What is the purpose of the study?Most research on sexual fantasies typically involves examining fantasy content as a whole. However, sexual fantasies often include multiple components within a single scenario. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine these various parts that typically make up a sexual fantasy (i.e., the actions involved, the person/s involved, and the location involved). The aim is to examine whether sexual arousal, importance, and likelihood-to-enact varies between the different components, and whether sexual sensation-seeking and sexual excitation are associated with these experiences. The study will be conducted online through QuestionPro and is being conducted as part of a thesis project for a MSc degree.
Am I eligible to take part?You are being invited to take part because you are aged 18 or over and have a good understanding of written English.
Do I have to take part?Participation is completely voluntary. You should only take part if you want to and choosing not to take part will not disadvantage you in anyway.
What will I be asked to do?Firstly, you will be asked to electronically provide your consent for taking part in this study. If you do not wish to consent, you may withdraw from the study by closing the online tab/window. If you choose to give consent, you can still withdraw at any point in the study in the same manner. After providing consent, you will be asked to give some basic demographic information (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity, relationship status). You will then be asked to think of a sexual fantasy that you have and answer a set of questions about its location, the person/people involved, and the behaviours/actions that are being performed in the fantasy. These questions pertain to how arousing and important each aspect is and how likely you are to enact each aspect of the fantasy in real-life. You will then be asked to complete two short scales regarding sexual sensation-seeking and sexual excitation. All the information given during the study will remain anonymous. The study will take approximately 20 minutes. Note: The questions asked within the study do not reflect the views of the researcher or the University of Lincoln.
Will I be paid expenses for taking part?You will not be paid participate in the study.
What are the possible benefits / risks of taking part?There are no individual benefits for taking part in this study. However, the results may assist in the understanding of sexual fantasies and may contribute to existing theories and frameworks regarding sexual fantasy. There is a risk that the study may cause distress due to the sensitive/sexual nature or the topic. That is, the questions and topics discussed within this study pertain to private and personal information, which may make some individuals feel uncomfortable. Please do not take part if this study is likely to cause you distress.
Will anyone know I have taken part?
The University of Lincoln (UoL) is the sponsor for this study based in the United Kingdom. We will be using information from you in order to undertake this study and will act as the data controller for this study. This means that we are responsible for looking after your information and using it properly. The study is completely anonymous, and the research team will keep all data will be confidential and secure. The research team will use this information as needed and make sure that relevant information about the study is recorded for your care, and to oversee the quality of the study. Certain individuals from UoL may look at your research records to check the accuracy of the research study. The people who analyse the information will not be able to identify you.
Where will my data be stored?
The data obtained from the study will be stored securely on the university OneDrive in password protected files. Only the researchers will have access to it. The data from this study may be put in an Open Access repository for other researchers to use in future research. If so, responses will be anonymised and any personal data will be removed.
What will happen if I don’t want to carry on with the study? You are free to withdraw at any point from this study by closing the online tab/window, without having to give a reason. If you choose to withdraw from the study during the completion of the online survey, the information you have given us up to this point will be deleted/destroyed. However, once the anonymised data set has been created, it will not be possible to remove your anonymised data from the analysis as we will not be able to identity you.
What will happen to the results of the research study?The study will be written up as a thesis project for a master’s degree. As the current study is anonymous (i.e., no identifiable data is collected), the individual participants will not receive a summary of the results sent directly to them. If participants would like to be made aware of the findings of the study, they will be able to email the student researcher (contact details below) and receive a summary of the research findings at a later date (September 2023).
Who is organising and funding the research?This research is being organised by Charlotte Nowell at the University of Lincoln and supervised by Dr Ross Bartels.
Who has reviewed the study?All research conducted by the University of Lincoln is looked at by an independent group of people, called a Research Ethics Committee, to protect your rights, dignity, and wellbeing. This study has been reviewed and given favourable opinion by a University of Lincoln Research Ethics Committee (Ethics Reference: UoL2023_13827).
What if there is a problem?It is very unlikely that this study would cause you any harm. If you have a concern or a complaint about any aspect of this study, you should ask to speak to the researchers who will do their best to answer your questions. The researchers contact details are given at the end of this information sheet.If you remain unhappy and wish to complain formally, you can make a formal complaint through the University complaints procedure or by contacting ethics@lincoln.ac.uk.
Further information and contact details:Contact details
Researcher: Charlotte Nowell (Email: 19697091@students.lincoln.ac.uk)
Contact details for Support services
Should the content of this research cause you any psychological harm, please use the support options below to seek assistance for your situation.
SHOUT Crisis Hotline - Text SHOUT to 85258
MIND (mental health support) - 0300 123 3393
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