Thank you for your interest in this experiment. Please read over the following information regarding your participation. If you agree to participate in the study, click the proceed button at the bottom of your screen.

You are being invited to take part in a study investigating the gender differences and the effect of hormones on face perception.  Men and women have been found to place different levels of importance on certain aspects of the face. The aim of this study is to investigate differences in the way men and women process adult faces of the same- and opposite-sex, as well as infant faces. We are also investigating the effect levels of reproductive hormones can have on the perception of adult and infant faces. This study is being conducted as part of Amanda Hahn’s PhD thesis in the School of Psychology at the University of St Andrews.

What would I be required to do?
There are two parts to this experiment. You are welcome to participate in both or just one. If you elect to complete only 1 part of the experiment now, you are welcome to come back later to complete the second part. Each block of the experiment should last approximately 10-15 minutes. Using the descriptive links below, you can choose which part(s) you would like to participate in.

Will my participation be Anonymous and Confidential?
Only the researcher(s) and supervisor(s) will have access to the data which will be kept strictly confidential.   Your permission maybe sought in the Participant Consent form for the data you provide, which will be anonymised, to be used for future scholarly purposes.

Are there any potential risks to taking part?
The only foreseeable risk to your participation involves strain to your eyes and/or body from sitting at a computer station for an extended period of time. Computer workstations or equipment can be associated with neck, shoulder, back or arm pains, fatigue and eyestrain. The entire experiment (parts A & B) should not take you longer than 1 hour to complete, so these risks are minimal. However, for your comfort and convenience, you will be provided with breaks between individual blocks of the experiment. During this time, you are free to leave the computer/work station for as long as you’d like and resume the experiment upon your return. If you would like to learn more about the potential risks of prolonged computer/workstation use as well as what you can do to avoid such risks, please read the following information pamphlet.

Questions
If you have any questions about this study, the results or your involvement, please feel free to email the head researcher.

Consent and Approval
This research proposal has been scrutinised and been granted Ethical Approval through the University ethical approval process. Please read through the consent statement below: Participation in this research project is completely voluntary, and your consent is required before you can participate in this research.  Your identity will be not be revealed to anyone whatsoever, and all reference to you will be of a generic nature.

I declare that:

1. I have read this form and I fully understand the nature of the study and my participation in it.

2. I understand that I can withdraw at any time without needing to say why.

3. I understand that the data I provide will be treated in a confidential manner and the answers I give will be coded to ensure anonymity.

4. I understand that should I feel uncomfortable answering questions, I can leave them blank.

5. I have not been coerced into participating in the project and willingly yield personal information to the researchers, without recourse.

6. Where applicable, the researchers may use the data for publishing and presenting purposes, in a scientific context.

7. All of my questions concerning this research have been answered. 

8. I consent to be a participant in the aspects of the study agreed to above.

PART A: Pay-Per-View Faces

Part A involves viewing a series of faces. Your task is to change the viewing time as you'd like -- You get to decide how long to view each face! There are two blocks, with the option for you to take a break in between. During each block, you will be able to increase or decrease the viewing time of each image by pressing a set of keys (Please note that the task will last for a set period of time – decreasing the viewing time of each image will not make the task finish quicker, you’ll just see more faces!).  Click the purple Part A link above to complete this part of the study.

PART B: Who's Better Looking?

Part B of the experiment will present you with pairs of faces. Your task will be to choose which face is cuter or more attractive by clicking on the image. You will see infant faces as well as adult faces. The differences between face pairs will be very small, so feel free to take your time. This part of the experiment should last about 10 minutes. Click the purple Part B link above to complete this part of the study.