Title of Project
Investigating effects of persuasive health messages on individuals’ intention and behaviour
Investigators
Leila Sadat Rezai (student Investigator)
leila.rezai@uwaterloo.ca
Dr. Jessie Chin (co-investigator)
Jessie.chin@uwaterloo.ca
Prof. Catherine M. Burns (faculty supervisor)
catherine.burns@uwaterloo.ca
Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo
Summary of the Project
Studies in the domain of public health communication show that subtle linguistic variations in message content can affect user receptivity. This experiment will examine the influence of persuasive messages on individuals' intention and behaviour to become more physically active.
Who Is Eligible to Participate
To be eligible for participating in this study, you must
A questionnaire at the beginning of the survey will determine your eligibility to participate in this study. Please note that no data will be collected prior to that point.
What You Will Be Asked to Do
We are looking for volunteers to take part in a study that investigates individuals’ perception of persuasive messages and the effect of those messages on their behaviour.
As a participant you would be asked to fill out a short online survey every day for 17 days, and go for a daily 20-minutes brisk-walks for 14 days. The whole study will occur over a period of 23 days.
In appreciation of your time, you will have a chance to win a $200 cash prize.
If you choose to participate in this study you will be asked to fill out an online survey, in which you will be asked a variety of questions. After filling out a demographic questionnaire, you will be asked how frequently specific events actually occur or have occurred in your life, and your ability to cope with daily hassles, or adaptation capability after experiencing various kinds of stressful life events. These questions are asked to identify your psychological characteristics. Consequently, you will be asked about your level of physical activity. Finally, you should answer a set of questions that examine the influence of persuasive messages on your intention and behaviour.
Important note: You should choose to walk in areas that are considered safe. If you do experience any injury or pain these should be reported to the researcher (after seeking appropriate medical treatment from a family doctor or emergency room as required).
What You Will Receive for Participating in This Study
If you participate in the study, in appreciation of your time, you can enter a draw for a $200 cash prize. Your odds of winning the prize is based on the number of individuals who participate in the study. We expect that approximately 60 individuals will take part in the study.
Information collected to draw for the prize will not be linked to the study data in any way, and this identifying information will be stored separately, and then destroyed after the prize have been provided. The amount received is taxable. It is your responsibility to report this amount for income tax purposes.
Study Participation
Participation in this study is voluntary. You can decline to answer questions or withdraw from participation at any time by clicking on the withdraw link placed in the study-related email sent to you. If you choose to withdraw, you can still enter in the draw for the $200 cash prize.
Please note, that study-related data collected from individuals who decide to withdraw in the middle of the study will be used and analyzed for the purpose of our research.
Risks and Benefits
There are no known or anticipated risks from participation in this study other than those risks one may encounter while walking with a fast pace. However, research demonstrates that even short-term moderate physical activity can lead to health benefits. Moreover, the results of this research may contribute to the knowledge base of health communication research and lead to improved health promoting technologies.
Confidentiality and Data Security
All information you provide is considered completely confidential. No personal identifying information (e.g., name) will be associated with the information collected. Your name will not appear in any publication resulting from this study. Data collected during this study will be retained for a period of 7 years in password protected computers in a secure location. Data will be accessible only to researchers associated with this project. Electronic data will be de-identified before being stored.
When information is transmitted over the internet privacy cannot be guaranteed. University of Waterloo practices are to turn off functions that collect machine identifiers such as IP addresses. The host of the system collecting the data such as Survey Gizmo may collect this information without our knowledge and make this accessible to us. We will not use or save this information without your consent. If you prefer not to submit your survey responses through this host, please do not sign up for this study.
Contact Information and Research Ethics Clearance
If you have any questions about participation, or would like additional information to assist you in reaching a decision about participation, please contact Leila Rezai at
leila.rezai@uwaterloo.ca or Professor Catherine Burns at
catherine.burns@uwaterloo.ca.
I would like to assure you that this study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Committee (ORE# 21335). If you have questions for the Committee contact the Chief Ethics Officer, Office of Research Ethics, at 1-519-888-4567 ext. 36005 or ore-ceo@uwaterloo.ca.
Thank you for your assistance in this project.
Dr. Jessie Chin
Prof. Catherine M. Burns