You are being invited to take part in this research study. Before you decide if you would like to take part, it is important that you read this document so you understand why the study is being carried out and what it will involve. Reading this document, discussing it with others, or asking any questions you might have will help you decide whether you would like to take part. 
 
What is the purpose of the study? 
We are interested in auditory perception, and how it might link to other aspects of life such as sleep quality and mental wellbeing, and are conducting this study to find out more about how these things are associated. 
 
Why have I been invited? 
Many people have been contacted to take part in this study through social networks.  You are eligible to take part in this experiment if you meet the following criteria: 

• You must be aged 18 or older 

• Native English speaker 

• Have no diagnosed hearing impairments 

• Have no diagnosed psychiatric disorder 

• You must use a laptop or desktop computer to complete this study (please DO NOT use a mobile phone or tablet device) 

• You must have a pair of headphones or earbuds to connect to your computer 

 
Do I have to take part? 
This study is voluntary, you are under no obligation to take part. If you begin participation but change your mind you can close your browser window and we will not include incomplete responses in our final dataset. 
 
What will happen if I take part? 
This study will be conducted online, and if you take part, you will be asked to complete an auditory perception task which asks you to listen out for speech clips embedded in noise and respond with a button press as to whether you think speech is present, or not. You’ll then be asked to complete a number of demographic questions and several short questionnaires. These questionnaires capture things like how you view the quality of your sleep, your mental wellbeing, and healthy and unhealthy eating habits.   
 
After completing all elements of this study, you will be provided with a debrief sheet explaining more about the nature of the research, how you can find out about the results, and how you can withdraw your data if you wish. The study should take approximately 30 mins to complete. 
 
What are the possible disadvantages of taking part?
You should not experience any psychological discomfort or embarrassment as part of the current study. However, if you do not feel comfortable answering questions about unusual experiences, your mood, or your eating habits, please do not take part. If you also do not like hearing garbled speech, or you find identifying potential voices in noise uncomfortable or distressing, please do not participate. 
 
By participating in this survey, you will respond to some questions on sensitive topics such as hallucinatory experiences, and psychological well-being. If you do experience some distress, please consider the further information in the links below: 
https://giveusashout.org/ - you can also text SHOUT to 85258 https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/ https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/

These will be provided again in the debrief at the end of the questionnaires. 
 
What are the possible benefits of taking part? 
Some people enjoy taking part in these types of studies, as it can allow people to reflect on their own experiences. There is no monetary incentive for participation in this survey.  
 
Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential and anonymous? 
All surveys are completed anonymously – you won’t be asked to provide a name or email address. During participation you will be asked to provide a codeword. This code can also be used to withdraw your data. All survey data will be anonymised and stored alongside your code. Your individual responses will remain confidential, and data will only be accessed by the research team at Northumbria University. 
 
How will my data be stored, and how long will it be stored for? 
We will securely store the data that we collect on the password-protected university OneDrive, and only allow access by the researcher and supervisor named below. All electronic data will be stored under password protection. All data will be stored in accordance with university guidelines and the Data Protection Act (2018). 
 
What categories of personal data will be collected and processed in this study? 
We will not collect any personally identifiable data. Some of the questions will ask about sleep, mental wellbeing, and eating habits – but we won’t be able to link this data to you. 
 
What will happen to the results of the study? Could personal data collected be used in future research? 
If we use the data in an academic context such as through publication in an academic journal or presentation, then we might be obliged to make the dataset available publicly and indefinitely, but it will not be possible to identify you from the dataset. 
 
Who has reviewed this study? 
The research project, submission reference 9364 has been approved in Northumbria University’s Ethics Online system. It has been reviewed to safeguard your interests and have granted approval to conduct the study. If you have questions regarding this, you can contact Dr. Emma Barkus (emma.barkus@northumbria.ac.uk). 
 
Contacts for further information 
For more information, please contact the study supervisor, Dr. Peter Moseley (peter.moseley@northumbria.ac.uk). 
The Records and Information Officer at Northumbria University is Duncan James (dp.officer@northumbria.ac.uk). 
You can find out more about how we use your information at our GDPR webpage, or by contacting a member of the research team.