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Consent Form
Please read the following consent form in order to participate in this study.
Title of study:
Sequential decision-making under uncertainty in a video game
You are invited to participate in a research study of sequential decision-making under uncertainty in a video game. You are eligible as a possible participant because you are between 18-65 years old, have proficiency in English, have never participated before, and have access to an Internet browser. We ask that you read this information and ask any questions you may have to acuna002@umn.edu before agreeing to be in the study.
This study is being conducted by Paul Schrater from the Computational Perception and Action Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, USA
Background Information:
The purpose of this study is to gain insight into how people perform sequential decision-making under uncertainty.
Procedures:
If you agree to be in this study, we would ask you to do the following things: play games that involve decisions over uncertain rewarding alternatives.
You will be asked to simultaneously play several virtual slot machines that give you points in a random fashion (much like simultaneously playing several real slot machines in a casino where you do not know which machine is the best).
For each game, you will have the opportunity to pull the levers a randomly limited number of times. This is, 2 out of 100 pulls may randomly stop the current game, making you collect the points, and playing the next game. This does not mean that the probability of ending the game increases over time, but it stays fixed. For example, if you survived the pull number 4, you need to think that you have to have survived the first, second, and third pull, each of which has a 2% probability of stopping the current game.
You will be asked to play 48 of these games separated into 4 stages, each of which will have different number of machines and different payoff behaviors. Keep in mind that each set of games is different for each subject. Each game typically involves 1.5 minutes of playing, but you can take as much time as you want.
Moreover, you can play each game any time you want, spaced over a period of time. We would not be surprised if you play either all the games consecutively or just one per day. We expect solving all games would take 60 min of game play, but again, you can take as much time as you want.
Risks and Benefits of Being in the Study:
There are no foreseeable risks involved in participating in this study. The benefits of participation in this study are that you will learn about how current research in cognitive psychology is conducted in a research university.
Confidentiality:
The records of this study will be kept private. In any sort of report we might publish, we will not include any information that will make it possible to identify a subject, not even the "nick name" you would provide us. Research records will be kept in a locked file; only researchers will have access to the records.
Voluntary Nature of the Study:
Your decision whether or not to participate will not affect your current or future relations with the University. If you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw at any time without affecting those relationships.
Compensation
Due to the nature of this study, there is no compensation on this experiment--only the joy of competing with others.
Contacts and Questions:
The principal investigator for this study is Dr. Paul R. Schrater. You may ask any questions you have now or later by contact him at schrater@umn.edu, or by telephone at +1 (612) 626-8848.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this study and would like to talk to someone other than the researcher(s), contact Research Subjects’ Advocate line, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview Riverside Campus, 2200 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454.
Statement of Consent:
I have read the above information. If I have asked questions, I have received answers.