Permission to Take Part in a Human Research Study
Title of research study: Pilot Experimentation on Influence of Turbulence
and Small-Scale Meteorological Phenomena
Investigator: Dani Caputi
Why am I being invited to take part in a research study?
We invite you to take part in this study to help scientists better understand the nature of consciousness. Any interested individual with access to the internet may volunteer to participate.
What should I know about a research study?
(Experimental Subject’s Bill of Rights)
• This research study will be explained to you, including:
– The nature and purpose of the research study.
– The procedures to be followed.
– Any common or important discomforts and risks.
– Any benefits you might expect.
• Whether or not you take part is up to you.
• You can choose without force, fraud, deceit, duress, coercion, or undue influence.
• You can choose not to take part.
• You can agree to take part now and later change your mind.
• Whatever you decide it will not be held against you.
• You can ask all the questions you want before you decide.
• If you agree to take part, you will be given a copy of this document.
Who can I talk to?
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints, or think the research has hurt you, contact the research team:
Dani Caputi
Email: djcaputi@ucdavis.edu
Phone: 510-254-9779
This research has been reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (“IRB”). Information to help you understand research is on-line at http://www.research.ucdavis.edu/policiescompliance/irbadmin/. You may talk to a IRB staff member at (916) 703-9151, hs-irbadmin@ucdavis.edu, or 2921 Stockton Blvd, Suite 1400, Room 1429, Sacramento, CA 95817 for any of the following:
• Your questions, concerns, or complaints are not being answered by the research team.
• You cannot reach the research team.
• You want to talk to someone besides the research team.
• You have questions about your rights as a research subject.
• You want to get information or provide input about this research.
Why is this research being done?
This research is being done to learn more about possible atypical interactions between mental activity and the physical world. While the practice of attempting to influence weather has been prominent in many cultures for thousands of years, no scientific studies have been done.
How long will the research last?
A session will take 15 minutes (including the questionnaire). You can return to the website as often as you would like to contribute additional sessions.
How many people will be studied?
We expect between 50 and 1000 people to participate in this study.
What happens if I say yes, I want to be in this research?
Turbulence, at its most basic definition, is the chaotic and unpredictable movement of any fluid (air, water, etc). You may only notice it on airplanes, but in reality we observe and experience it all the time – from gusts of wind, to waterfalls, to your own bathtub faucet. Turbulence is a very important force of nature that can enhance the health of crops, as well as ventilate and reduce air pollution.
The measurement and analysis of turbulence requires a special instrument capable of measuring wind at a very fast rate. In Platteville, Colorado, we have a RM-Young sonic anemometer that allows us to do this.
If you choose to participate, you will be directed to a questionnaire that will ask some basic information about yourself, though not all questions are required. The questionnaire need only be completed once; you will not need to fill it out again if you choose to return to the website at a later time to contribute additional sessions. After the questionnaire, you will be directed to a screen where you will be prompted to “concentrate” or “relax” for alternating 30-second periods. When prompted to “concentrate”, please attempt to increase the intensity of turbulence – that is – mentally invite the airflow around the instrument to become more chaotic. When prompted to “relax”, please shift your attention away from the instrument.
What happens if I do not want to be in this research?
You may decide not to take part in the research and it will not be held against you.
What happens if I say yes, but I change my mind later?
You can leave the research at any time by exiting the web browser and it will not be held against you.
Is there any way being in this study could be bad for me?
There are no foreseeable risks or discomforts that would result from your participation in this study.
What happens to the information collected for the research?
The personal information you choose to provide on the questionnaire will be kept in a password-protected online database, and efforts will be made to limit use or disclosure of your personal information to people who have a need to review this information. We cannot promise complete confidentiality. Organizations that may inspect and copy your information include the IRB and other University of California representatives responsible for the management or oversight of this study. The results from your sessions can be sent to you privately, or can be shared on the public “scoreboard” on the website with your consent. If you do not indicate that you wish for your scores to be public, this information will be handled with the same sensitivity as the information you provide on the questionnaire.
What else do I need to know?
You will not be compensated for taking part in this study.
Are there other research opportunities?
In your questionnaire, you can indicate if you are interested in being contacted for follow-up studies. This is completely optional.
Delta Aware 