Dear Participants,

 

We are a team of faculty researchers at the University of New Hampshire, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and the George Washington University, and we are conducting a research study exploring the impact of physical spaces on emotions and attitudes at work. We are contacting you because you may qualify for the study and might be interested in participating.

 

Qualified Participants MUST:

·      Be 18 years old or older

·      Speak and read English fluently

·      Work in a physical office workspace

 

This consent form describes the research study and helps you to decide if you want to participate.  It provides important information about what you will be asked to do in the study, about the risks and benefits of participating in the study, and about your rights as a research participant.  You should:

Read the information in this document carefully, and ask the research personnel any questions, particularly if you do not understand something.Not agree to participate until all your questions have been answered, or until you are sure that you want to. Understand that your participation in this study involves you to answer some questions about your experiences in your workplace and will take approximately 10 minutes. The potential risks of participating in this study are anticipated to be minimal. Although you will not receive any direct benefits from participating in this study, the knowledge you share will be utilized to provide insight into the physical space and architecture within workplaces might affect our moods.

 

For our study, we are asking participants to take four photos of their workspace. Two of these photos should be of spaces within your workplace that make you feel particularly comfortable, safe, or secure. The other two photos should be of spaces within your workplace that make you feel particularly uncomfortable, unsafe, or insecure. All photos can be taken using a smartphone or another camera device & uploaded during this survey. We plan to survey up to 1000 people in this study. If you would prefer not to provide images for any reason, you may also describe these places.

 

You will not be paid to participate in this study. Although you are not anticipated to receive any direct benefits from participating in this study, the knowledge you share will help us better understand how the physical features of workspaces contribute to employees’ attitudes and emotions at work.

 

Taking part in this study is completely voluntary.  You may choose not to take part at all.  If you agree to participate, you may refuse to answer any question.  If you change your mind, you may stop participating at any time.  Any data collected as part of your participation will remain part of the study records. If you agree to participate, you may refuse to answer any question(s) and/or if you change your mind, you may withdraw at any time during the study without penalty or negative consequences.

 

We seek to maintain confidentiality of all data and records associated with your participation in this research. However, you should understand that any form of communication over the Internet presents minimal risk of loss of confidentiality. In utilizing the survey, we will not be collecting identifying information, including IP addresses, names, or physical addresses. In the event that an uploaded image includes company- or individual-identifying information, including logos, company names, identifiable personal belongings (e.g., items on a desk), or other identifiable photographic information, the researchers will blur the identifying information.

 

All data will be entered into a secure Qualtrics form and downloaded and stored on a password protected UNH Box account only accessible to the investigator. Only approved researchers will have access to this data. Blurred photos will be saved for 5 years for the sake of data integrity & transparency, but the original images with identifiable information will be erased. Aggregate numerical results may be used in reports, presentations, and publications. Uploaded images may be used in report, presentations, and publications, but we will not publicly present any photos that would be identifiable due to unique styling or characteristics.To further protect your identity, we strongly advise against completing the survey on a computer or other electronic device (e.g., tablet, smart phone) that is owned, managed, or otherwise monitored by your employer.

 

If you have any questions about this research project or would like more information before, during, or after the study, you may contact Dr. Jennifer Griffith at Jennifer.griffith@unh.edu.  If you have questions about your rights as a research subject, you may contact Melissa McGee in UNH Research Integrity Services at 603-862-2005 or Melissa.McGee@unh.edu to discuss them.

 

Thank you for your time and consideration!

 

Kind Regards,

Dr. Jennifer Griffith

Dr. Kelsey Medeiros

Dr. Katina Sawyer