Attachment F Consent Form

Attachment F

Consent Form

Informed Consent

The University of Rhode Island 
Policy Simulation Laboratory 
Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics 
One Greenhouse Road, Kingston RI 02881

Project: 187397-12 Experiments in Economic Decision Making

IRB # HU0304-018
IRB Approval Date 06/22/2015
IRB Approval Expiration 06/21/2016

CONSENT FORM FOR RESEARCH

You have been asked to participate in a research project described below. The researcher will explain the project to you in detail. You should feel free to ask questions. If you have more questions later, Dr. Thomas Sproul (874-9197), the person mainly responsible for this study, will discuss them with you.

This study examines the behavior of people in a particular economic environment. The exact nature of the environment will be explained by the researcher.

If you decide to take part in this study, you will be presented with a sequence of decisions which provide you an opportunity to make money. Your earnings will be affected by your decisions and by random chance. The process will take approximately 60-90 minutes.

It is unlikely that you will incur any risks or will experience any discomfort as a result of participating in this study.

Although there may be no direct benefit to you from your participation in this study, the researchers may learn more about how people make decisions in the economic environment being studied.

During the study, your decisions will be linked by a subject number assigned to you by the researcher. This subject number will never be linked to anything which can identify you. Other participants in the experiment will not be able to attribute your decisions to you personally, and they will not know how much you earn. At the end of the experiment, you will have to sign for the amount of your earnings. This form will not contain your subject number, and will not be linked with your decision data.

The decision to take part in this study is up to you. You do not have to participate. If you decide to take part in the study, you may quit at any time. Whatever you decide will in no way penalize you. If you wish to quit, simply inform the researcher of your decision.

If you are not satisfied with the way this study is performed, you may discuss your complaints with Dr. Sproul. In addition, you may contact the office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, Research and Outreach, 70 Lower College Rd., Suite 2, Kingston, RI, telephone 874-4328.

Disclaimer:

The Economic Research Service (ERS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and The University of Rhode Island are conducting this experiment as part of a study on economic decision making. The results of this experiment will help to advance economic theory and our understanding of how economic markets work.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0536-0070 (expires 06/30/2016). The time required to complete this experiment is estimated to average 90 minutes, including the time for reviewing instructions and completing the experiment. This information collection is conducted under the authority of 7 U.S.C. 2204 (a) and 7 U.S.C. 2026 (a)(1).

This study does not require the study coordinators to access any of your personal information. You do not have to provide any personal or sensitive information (e.g., relating to illegal behaviors, alcohol or drug use, sexual attitudes, mental health, etc.). Information provided to this study does not have the potential to damage your financial standing, employability or reputation, or place you at risk of criminal or civil liability. ID numbers will be handled separately from names. Efforts will be made to keep your study-related information confidential. However, we must inform you that your responses are not covered by the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002. Your data will be protected by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 USC 552a).

Supporting Statement: Attachment F Page 2 of 2