External link - Dissertation - Combat Experiences and Moral Conflict

You are being invited to participate in a research project conducted by Jenny Bannister, M.Ed., from the Educational Psychology Department at the University of Houston. This project is part of a dissertation and is being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Frederick G. Lopez, Professor of Counseling Psychology. This project has been reviewed by the University of Houston Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (713) 743-9204.
 
To be eligible to participate in this study, you must be a male US military veteran between the ages of 18-64, with least one deployment to a combat zone, during the following conflicts: Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and/or Persian Gulf War.
 
Voluntary nature of the study
 
Your participation in this research project is voluntary and you may refuse to take part or withdraw at any time without penalty. You may also refuse to answer any research-related questions. If you are a student, your decision to participate, or not, or to withdraw your participation will have no effect on your academic standing.
 
Purpose of this study
 
The purpose of the study is to expand the body of research on combat experiences, moral conflict, perceptions of close relationships, and psychological outcomes for male combat Veterans. Examples of questions you will complete include, “Indicate how much you have been bothered by repeated, disturbing, and unwanted memories of the stressful experience from the past, over the past month” and “how often did you personally witness civilians (e.g., women and children) being seriously wounded or killed?” Your participation will take between 30 and 40 minutes. The study is expected to be completed within one year of its start date.

 
Procedures
 
You will be one of approximately 250 individuals invited to take part in this project. For the study you will complete self-report questionnaires presented online through this project's website. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions. You will be asked questions about how frequently you were exposed to specific combat experiences and answer questions about your reactions to traumatic events you may have experienced.
 
Confidentiality: Every effort will be made to maintain the confidentiality of your participation in this project. Your responses will not be linked in any way to your name or identity. Only the principal investigator and faculty advisor will have access to the data, which will be kept in an electronic password protected file. The survey software that is being utilized for this study does not gather IPO (Internet Provider Organization) addresses.
 
 
Risks
 
The researchers have taken steps to minimize the risks of this study. Still, there is a potential risk that you may experience some emotional distress or discomfort while completing questionnaires about combat experiences and reactions to traumatic experiences. If you choose to participate, information about counseling will be provided at the end of the study. If you feel that you need help in dealing with any potential emotional distress, please call the Veteran’s Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255.
 
Benefits
 
Although you may not benefit directly from participating, others may benefit because this study may provide helpful information about combat experiences and related psychological outcomes.
 
Incentives
 
If you choose to participate in this study:  FOR NON-STUDENTS OR STUDENTS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE UNIVERISTY OF HOUSTON: In appreciation for your participation you will be given the option to receive a $5 Starbucks gift card if you provide valid answers to all of the questions within the study. At the conclusion of the study, if you answer all questions completely and accurately, you will be redirected to another survey asking you to select whether you would like to receive a $5 Starbucks gift card. If you select yes, you will be asked to enter a valid email address. The Starbucks gift card will be emailed to the email address that you provide.
 
FOR CINT USERS: Incentive to participate will be provided through CINT as outlined during your recruitment through this organization.
 
Publication
 
The results of this study may be published in scientific journals, professional publications, or educational presentations; however, no individual subject will be identified.

Subject Rights: