Participant Information Sheet

Name of investigator: Beata Pacan

Email of investigator: bep0242@my.londonmet.ac.uk

Name of supervisor: Giovanni B. Moneta

Email of supervisor: g.moneta@londonmet.ac.uk

1.  Invitation

We're thrilled to invite you to participate in our Psychology study at London Metropolitan University. Before you decide to participate, we would like you to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. This information will guide you through the process and help you understand why we are conducting this study. If you are unclear about anything or would like more information, do not hesitate to contact one of the researchers. Please, take your time before you decide to take part in this study.

2.  What is the purpose of the study?

Our primary aim is to explore how external beliefs influence procrastination We're examining two types of procrastination: 'active', where you delay tasks intentionally, often for strategic reasons, and 'passive', stemming from lack of motivation or indecision. A fascinating part of our study is to explore how your thoughts about your thinking—'metacognitive beliefs'—which refers to your awareness and understanding of your own thought processes, interact with these supernatural beliefs and contribute to procrastination habits. Metacognitive beliefs might include your confidence in your memory or your thoughts on how worry affects you. In addition, we will measure the role of internal and external locus of control as previous studies have shown its influential impact on procrastination.

This research could offer new perspectives on procrastination, linking external beliefs like magic with our internal cognitive processes. The insights we gain might be necessary for inventing new strategies for effectively managing procrastination, particularly when it has a negative impact on everyday life.

3.  Why have I been chosen to participate?

You've been selected for our study because your unique background and experiences align well with our research goals. Your input is invaluable as it enriches our study and deepens our understanding of these phenomena.

4.  Do I have to take part?

Your participation is entirely voluntary. If you choose to participate, you'll give your consent with a simple click. You're free to withdraw at any point without any consequences. If you decide to leave the survey mid-way, simply close the webpage. Once you provide any data, we'll keep it secure and then delete it after a month. When you start the survey, you'll get to pick a personal 4-digit code (PIN) for your responses. This code lets you change or remove your answers later if you need to. In order to remember the PIN more easily, you could for example use the last two letters of your street name and the last two digits of your telephone number. This form is anonymous, and we'll process your requests within 30 days. Please note that after 15 March 2024, we won't be able to modify or remove your data from completed analyses. However, we will remove your data from future analyses.

5.  What will happen to me if I take part?

Our study explores the connections between procrastination behaviours, how we think about our thinking (metacognitive beliefs), and beliefs in the supernatural. If you decide to take part, set aside about 25 minutes for the entire process, including filling out the demographic questionnaire and the surveys. The study process will follow through several straightforward steps, detailed below:

• Demographic Questionnaire: You'll start by giving us some basic information about yourself, like age, gender, and your educational and employment background. This helps put your responses into context.

• Survey Participation: Next, you'll dive into five questionnaires focusing on procrastination, your thoughts about your thinking processes, and any paranormal beliefs you might hold. These questionnaires are designed to gauge your perspectives and experiences on these topics.

• Debrief and Further Information: You'll get a link to an online debrief form after you submit the surveys. The debrief form isn't just a formality; it's packed with more info about why we're doing this study and what we hope to discover. Plus, it has all the contact details for our research team in case you have questions or want more insight into the study.

Remember, joining this study is absolutely your choice. You can step back anytime, with no strings attached, and it won't affect your life or future in any way. Your contribution is more than answers to a survey; it's a step towards deeper psychological understanding, especially in dealing with procrastination and related beliefs.

6.  What are the benefits of taking part?

While you may not experience direct personal benefits from participating in this study, your involvement is invaluable to our understanding of procrastination, metacognition, locus of control, and paranormal beliefs. Your participation is crucial in advancing research in these areas, potentially leading to new insights and strategies for managing procrastination in the future.

7.  What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?

Participating in this study poses minimal risks or disadvantages. Your participation will be kept confidential, and no personal information will be collected. 

However, you may find some questions related to your personal beliefs and thoughts, including questions on paranormal thoughts and personal worries. If you find the questions sensitive or potentially distressing, please consider this before deciding to participate in the study.  If you decide to participate, you can withdraw from the study at any point by closing the webpage, with no consequences. Below are examples of questions you may potentially find distressing or sensitive: 

• My worrying could make me go mad;

• I could make myself sick with worrying;

• My worrying is dangerous for me;

• There is a devil;

• Black magic really exists;

8.  Will my participation in this study be kept confidential?

The study survey is totally anonymous. Also, the survey you may use after your participation in order to access, modify, or delete your data is totally anonymous. The research team would be able identify, modify, or delete your data only by matching the PINs you generated in the study survey and entered in the second (access/modify/delete) survey. Therefore, your data will remain confidential forever.

9.  What will happen to the results of this research?

The findings from this study may be shared in scholarly articles and educational resources accessible to a broader audience. We will diligently remove sensitive information from the published results to ensure participants' anonymity.

Furthermore, the data from this study could be utilised by researchers worldwide, adhering to the principles of Open Science. This approach fosters a transparent, accessible, and collaborative scientific environment. For more details about Open Science, you're encouraged to visit the UNESCO website at https://www.unesco.org/en/open-science.

10.  What do I do if I have any further questions?

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification about our research. You can contact the primary researcher, Beata Pacan, or the study supervisor, Dr. Giovanni B. Moneta. We are more than willing to assist and provide any information you need. Your queries will be used solely to respond to your questions about this project and won't be linked to your survey responses.

11.  What is the lawful basis to use my personal data?

Information will only be used for this research study which aims to develop and improve our understanding of the relationship between different forms of procrastination- active and passive- and their correlation with paranormal, metacognitive beliefs and locus of control. The legal basis for processing your personal data is Article 6(1)(e) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The legal basis for processing your sensitive personal data (if relevant to the study) is Article 9(2)(j) GDPR.

         12.  What are my rights in relation to your use of my personal data?

In particular, you are entitled to request any of the rights below unless it would make it impossible or very difficult to carry out the research study:

• The right to access to your personal data;

• The right to receive a copy of your personal data;

• The right to ask us to restrict our use of your personal data;

• The right to ask us to correct inaccurate information about you; or

• The right to ask us to delete your personal data.

You are entitled to object to any further processing of the information we hold about you (except where it is de-identified).

You can learn more about data protection in relation to this study by contacting the researcher or the supervisor at (contact details above), and you exercise these rights by completing the access/modify/delete survey provided in the debrief form. 

Please note that these rights relate to data which could identify you (personal data). If your data has been anonymised, we will not be able to access or delete it as we will have no way of being able to link the data to you.

13.  Time limit to withdraw from the study

You have until 15 March 2024 to withdraw from the study. This deadline is set due to the researcher's graduation and subsequent departure from the university, marking the study's conclusion. Please ensure any requests regarding your data are made before this date.

14.  Ethics review and approval

This study has received approval from the University's Research Ethics Review Panel (RERP) on 26 January 2024. It adheres to the British Psychological Society's Code of Ethics and Conduct (2021).

15.  Keep this document for your own record

Please save or print this document for your own record.

If you are interested in participating in this study, please click on the link to the online survey :