Principal Investigator: Karen Prager, Ph.D. (214) 724-3616
Co-Principal Investigator: Siri Wilder (310) 200-4772
Key Information: This study can be completed entirely online, or partially in-person. As part of this study, cohabiting couple partners will participate in a 90-minute meeting with study personnel, either in-person at the lab on the UT Dallas campus or online. Online participation requires the following:
1) a computer that has a working camera and microphone, with both on throughout the meeting
2) access to a second electronic device besides your computer (including either a second computer, smartphone, or tablet), to allow couple partners to complete the questionnaires separately.
We provide all in-person materials.
Purpose: The purpose of this research study is to increase our understanding of the experience of couples in their relationships as they go about their daily lives by collecting information about day-to-day positive and negative couple interactions.
Description of Study: The first part of the study involves a 90-minute couple's meeting with study personnel. If you are eligible and consent to participate, you will be asked to complete a one-time survey (20-25 minutes). Next, you will complete your first online daily checklist (8-10 minutes). Finally, you and your partner will be recorded while you engage in three discussions (21 minutes). You will discuss two issues you'd like to resolve between you, plus a closing conversation. We will send you a daily link via email with your checklist (13 additional days); they should be completed separately from your partner. All questionnaires will be confidential; your partner will not see your responses.
Number of Participants: We expect to obtain a sample of 460 participants.
Length of Participation: The overall time commitment will be no longer than 90 minutes during the initial meeting with study personnel, followed by 8-10 minutes per day for 13 days. If you decide to stop participating in the study, we encourage you to tell the researchers.
Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria: Participants must be in a romantic relationship and both couple partners must be willing to complete the study. Both couple partners must be fluent in English, at least 20 years old, and have lived with each other for at least 6 months. Each couple can participate once in the study.
Possible Risks: Many individuals find participation in this study enjoyable, and no adverse reactions have been reported thus far. You may feel uncomfortable answering personal questions about yourself and your relationship. If you find that to be true, you may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. In addition, should you become uncomfortable while reflecting on personal questions about yourself and your relationship we encourage you to discuss this with a trained professional or contact the UT Dallas Student Counseling Center at (972) 883-2575/(972) 883-8255. You may experience boredom or fatigue while completing the questionnaires. Finally, while the study is being run from a "secure" https server of the kind typically used to handle credit card transactions, there is a very small possibillity that responses could be viewed by unauthorized third parties (e.g., computer hackers) which could potentially result in a loss of confidentiality.
Possible Benefits to Participant: No direct benefits to participants.
Alternatives to Participation: Individuals may choose not to participate.
Payments to Participate: UT Dallas students will receive 4 SONA credits (if applicable) and all couples will receive $100 when both partners complete the study. Participants will receive payment via GalaxyPay, a pre-paid card. You will be asked to provide your name, mailing address, and date of birth to receive compensation.
Voluntary Participation: All individuals have the right to agree or refuse to participate in this study. Individuals who consent to participate also have the right to change their minds while experiencing the study procedure. Participants may tell the investigator(s) that they no longer wish to participate. Refusal or withdrawal of participation will not involve any penalty or loss of benefits to which non-participants are entitled. Refusal to participate will not affect participants' legal rights, the quality of the education they may wish to receive at UT Dallas, or their grades at UT Dallas, in any way.
Records of Participation in This Research: All of the information participants provide to investigators as part of this research will be protected and held in confidence within the limits of the law and institutional regulation. During the data collection period, data will be labeled with a code linked to each participants' email address (and full name if interested in receiving compensation for participation). Following the end of the data collection period, all personal identifying information (i.e., email addresses, names if applicable) will be removed from the dataset.
Identifiable Private Information: Private information that can be used to identify you will be removed from the data collected in the course of this study following the conclusion of data collection (i.e., the dataset will be anonymized). After such removal, the de-identified data could be used by investigators for future research studies or distributed to another investigator for future research studies without additional informed consent. Video recordings of couple partners' discussions will be securely stored in a password-protected file in the Couples' Daily Lives UT Dallas Box, accessible only to approved study personnel. After consenting to and engaging in the recorded discussions, participants will not be able to request that this video be destroyed.
Information Available to Others: Members and associated staff of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of The University of Texas at Dallas may review the records of your participation in this research. An IRB is a group of people who are responsible for assuring the community that the rights of participants in this research are respected. A representative of the UTD IRB may contact you to gather information about your participation in this. research. If you wish, you may refuse to answer questions the representative of the IRB may ask.
Publications Associated With This Research: The results of this research may appear in publications but individual participants will not be identified.
Contact People: Participants who want more information about this research may contact any of the investigators listed at the top of this document. Participants who want more information about their rights as a participant or who want to report a research-related injury may contact:
The University of Texas at Dallas Institutional Review Board
(972) 883-4579
UTD Office of Research
COVID-19 Information:
Investigators are taking extra precautions based on CDC recommendations. If you have questions about the safety measures that are in place, the investigators can provide you with this information. These measures have been approved by the Institutional Review Board.