Ryan C. Anderson, PhD
Department of Psychological Sciences

Jean-Luc N. Alder
jnald1@student.monash.edu

You are invited to take part in this study. Please read this Explanatory Statement in full before deciding whether or not to participate in this research. If you would like further information regarding any aspect of this project, you are encouraged to contact the researchers via the email addresses listed above.

This study is a part of a student research project conducted by a student researcher under the supervision of Ryan C. Anderson, PhD. The Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee has approved the study.

What does the research involve? 
This study investigates the impact on an individual's sense of connectedness to nature and their perception of the restorativeness of environments, attributable to a brief 10-minute nature video accompanied by a specific audio track.

Participants will first be asked to complete a brief demographic survey and a psychological questionnaire. Following this, they will watch a 10-minute nature video accompanied by an audio track. After viewing the video, participants will complete a series of psychological questionnaires. The study will be conducted online, allowing participants to take part at any time, in any location, and on any device. The entire study will take approximately 20 minutes to complete and must be completed within 60 minutes of beginning the study. We kindly ask that participants only complete the study once.

Why were you invited for this research?
You were recruited for this research because you are a member of the general public. For the purposes of this study, this means you are aged 18 years and over, and can read and write in English.

Consenting to participate in the project and withdrawing from the research
Consent for the study will be implied by participation in the study. Participation is completely voluntary, and individuals have the right to discontinue at any time without penalty or implications from their withdrawal. However, once responses have been submitted, it will not be possible to withdraw the data.

Possible benefits and risks to participants
Participation will meaningfully contribute to the design and optimisation of relaxation technologies. Moreover, the study results may inform educational interventions and environmental policy changes. By understanding how we can optimise technology to enhance our sense of connectedness to the natural world, this study and its participants play a significant role in contributing to mental, social and environmental health efforts.

There are no foreseeable risks or harms beyond mild boredom and physical discomfort. Participants are encouraged to discontinue if physical discomfort from sitting or viewing the nature video becomes too uncomfortable to progress. 
If you experience discomfort during or after participating in this study, we encourage you to seek support from the following free mental health services:

Lifeline:
13 11 14
www.lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue:
1300 224 636
www.beyondblue.org.au

13YARN (24-hour support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people):
13 92 76
www.13YARN.org.au

Payment
Participants who fully complete the survey have the option to enter a draw for a chance to win 1 of 4 $50 Visa gift cards. This step is entirely voluntary. After the survey, you can decide whether to participate in the draw by providing an email address to be contacted. Please note that providing your email address will be via a link to an external site so that your details are stored separately and cannot be associated with your responses to the survey in any way. Should you win, your email address will be shared with the Monash finance team for auditing reasons, which might require passing on your contact details. Your consent will be sought before any such action is taken.

Confidentiality
Your responses will be kept confidential. After collection, your data will be deidentified and assigned a unique participant ID number. There are no follow-up tasks or discussions in this research, and you do not need to provide your name or contact details to the research team. The information you provide will not be linked to your name or any identifiable information. Confidentiality will be prioritised and preserved through collection, storage, analysis, and publication stages. Please note that as data is de-identified, all data entered by participants into the Qualtrics platform is not able to be withdrawn from the study.

Storage of data
Data will be collected via the online platform Qualtrics. The data will be password-protected and stored on secure Monash University servers for at least five years. Data from this research may form part of a report or thesis submitted for publication, but data will remain de-identified. 
 
Use of data for other purposes
Data sharing standards indicate that de-identified data may be made available for use by other researchers. Such data will be kept on secure public databases, a step some journals may require prior to publication. Any data that's shared will be devoid of any identifiable markers.

Results
The findings elicited from the analysis of this data will form the foundation of a student research project set for completion in late 2024. As your name will not be collected, if you are interested in accessing a summary of these results, please contact the Chief Investigator, ryan.anderson1@monash.edu. Please note that the results of the study will remain accessible for two years, however, results from the data analysis may be incorporated into conference presentations, journal articles or other research-related outputs. In all such presentations, if presented, data will be in an aggregated form, ensuring no participant identification.

Complaints
Should you have any concerns or complaints about the conduct of the project, you are welcome to contact the Executive Officer, Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (MUHREC):

Executive Officer
Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (MUHREC)
Room 111, Chancellery Building D,
26 Sports Walk, Clayton Campus
Research Office
Monash University VIC

Thank you,
Ryan Anderson