University of South Dakota Sex in Vehicles Survey
We are conducting an anonymous survey about the experience of having sex in a car while parked or while driving.
We are conducting an anonymous survey about the experience of having sex in a car while parked or while driving.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA
Institutional Review Board
Informed Consent Statement
Title of Project: Sex in Vehicles Survey
Principal Investigator: Cindy Struckman-Johnson, Psychology Building, 414 East Clark, Vermillion, SD,
57069; (605) 658-3717; cindy.struckman-johnson@usd.edu
Peter B. Anderson, Senior Faculty & Professor, Walden University
George Smeaton, Smeaton Research Consulting
Invitation to be Part of a Research Study
You are invited to participate in a research study. To participate, you must be age 18 or older. Taking part in this research project is voluntary and confidential. Please take time to read this entire form and ask questions before deciding whether to take part in this research project.
What is the study about and why are we doing it?
The purpose of the study is to assess people’s attitudes and behaviors related to having sex in a vehicle when it is parked off a roadway and when it is moving on a roadway. This study is an expansion of a survey conducted at the University of South Dakota in 2012 by the principal investigator. The study will explore the variety of sexual experiences—both positive and negative –which participants have had in either a parked or a moving vehicle. Another purpose is to determine to what extent having sex in moving vehicles affects driving behavior.
What will happen if you take part in this study?
Participants who are interested in the survey will be directed to a survey website which contains this consent form. Those who consent to take the survey will click another link that takes them directly to an on-line questionnaire prepared through Qualtrics. The survey questions are about demographic and driving information, sexual experiences in a parked vehicle, sexual experiences in a moving vehicle, and two measures of personality traits. About 3,000 persons will take part in this research.
Most of the survey questions are about sensitive sexual behavior. For example, if you have ever had sex in a parked vehicle or a moving vehicle, you will be asked about what sex acts took place, if sex acts were videotaped, whether sex with more than one person occurred, whether drug or alcohol use was involved, whether an unwanted pregnancy resulted, and whether sexual coercion took place. Some questions are about positive outcomes, such as did having sex in vehicles improve your romantic relationships. The survey takes from about 14 to 22 minutes to complete. We recommend that you take the survey in a private place.
What risks might result from being in this study?
There are some risks you might experience from being in this study. There is a risk that you will feel uncomfortable answering personal and sensitive questions about sexual behavior that took place in a vehicle. To minimize this risk, you may stop at any time or choose not to answer a question.
There is also the risk that you may feel upset after answering questions about whether you have ever been sexually coerced while in a vehicle. If you would like to talk to someone about your feelings related to sexual assault after taking this survey, you are encouraged to call the RAINN national hotline number for sexual assault victims at 800-656-HOPE. If you are a student at the University of South Dakota, you can contact the Student Counseling Center at 605-677-5777 which provides counseling services to students at no charge.
There is a risk that in answering three free response questions about good or bad experiences of having sex in a vehicle that you may inadvertently personally identify the person that you were with. To minimize this risk, we have included a reminder in this question NOT to identify anyone personally connected to this experience. If you are a student at the University of South Dakota and do identify an individual who has sexually coerced you in a vehicle on campus, this incident may have to be reported to a university authority.
How could you benefit from this study?
Although you will not directly benefit from being in this study, others might benefit from the new knowledge it generates. Currently, very little is known about having sex in vehicles. Results of this study will reveal how frequently it takes place and how it positively or negatively affects people and their driving behavior.
How will we protect your information?
We will protect the confidentiality of your research records by not collecting your name or any other information that can directly identify you. Computer IP addresses will not be collected in this study. The records of this study will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. We will protect the confidentiality of the research data by storing it in a secure on-line location that can only be accessed by the principal investigator.
However, given that the surveys can be completed from any computer (e.g., personal, work, school), we are unable to guarantee the security of the computer on which you choose to enter your responses. As a participant in our study, we want you to be aware that certain "key logging" software programs exist that can be used to track or capture data that you enter and/or websites that you visit.
How will we compensate you for being part of the study?
Participants in this study who are not college students will not receive compensation for their participation in this study.
If you are a college student at a university other than the University of South Dakota, consult with your instructor to see if extra credit points can be given for participating in this study.
If you are a student at the University of South Dakota who is taking the survey through SONA, you will receive 3 points of extra credit for a course. But if you choose not to participate, other options for receiving extra credit will be available. Options will be provided by the instructor of your course and usually include writing a one-page or less reaction paper about a course topic or a relevant campus event. The time invested in the alternate activity should be no longer than the 22 minutes involved in taking this survey.
Your Participation in this Study is Voluntary
It is totally up to you to decide to be in this research study. Participating in this study is voluntary. Even if you decide to be part of the study now, you may change your mind and stop at any time. You do not have to answer any questions you do not want to answer. You may withdraw from the study at any time without losing the course points assigned by your instructor. If you are in the principal investigator’s class and do not want to participate in this study for extra credit, you will be provided alternative options for gaining extra credit.
Contact Information for the Study Team and Questions about the Research
The researchers conducting this study are Dr. Cindy Struckman-Johnson, Dr. Peter B. Anderson, and Dr. George Smeaton. You may ask any questions you have now. If you later have questions, concerns, or complaints about the research please contact Cindy Struckman-Johnson at 605-658-3717 during the day.
If you have questions regarding your rights as a research subject, you may contact The University of South Dakota- Office of Human Subjects Protection at (605) 658-3743. You may also call this number with problems, complaints, or concerns about the research. Please call this number if you cannot reach research staff, or you wish to talk with someone who is an informed individual who is independent of the research team.
Your Consent
Before agreeing to be part of the research, please be sure that you understand what the study is about. Keep this copy of this document for your records. If you have any questions about the study later, you can contact the study team using the information provided above. Your consent to participate in this study is signified by clicking on the link below which will take you to the survey questions.
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