Examining AI Companions

Informed Consent

Consent for Participation in Research Activities

Project Title: Examining AI Companion Usage and Human Relationship Satisfaction

Research Description: Study 2 In-depth Questions
You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Zoey Pearl McCrorie and Dr. Ruth Tincoff, Faculty Sponsor. The overall purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between AI companion use and human relationship satisfaction. During this study you will be asked to fill out a demographic questionnaire that asks about your age, sex/gender, country, relationship status, and AI companion questions. First, you will see a question asking if you have used an AI companion in the last month. If you answer yes, then you will see different open-ended and in-depth questions asking about your experiences with AI companions. These questions have no word limit, are open text boxes, and you are encouraged to provide detailed reports.

Emotionally sensitive topics. Some of the questions are about emotional topics. If you experience emotional distress during or after this study, please use your current coping and support resources or contact one of these qualified supports: Psychology Today Find a Therapist https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists, U.S. Government Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Coping https://www.samhsa.gov/find-support/how-to-cope or call 1-800-662-4357.
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Time. The amount of time required for your participation will be around 30-60 minutes.

Voluntary Participation
Your participation is entirely voluntary and you may choose not to participate in this study or withdraw your consent at any time. You will not be penalized in any way should you choose not to participate or withdraw. You can choose to not answer questions or skip questions.

Risks
The risks presented by this study are similar to what you might experience in everyday life when filling out a questionnaire about emotionally sensitive issues such as relationships. This anonymous online study is being conducted using Reddit for participant recruiting and Alchemer for the questions. These companies are not affiliated with The College of Idaho and have their own privacy and security policies that you can find on their websites. We anticipate that your participation in this survey presents no greater risk than everyday use of the Internet.

Benefits
This study provides a broad benefit of enhancing scientific knowledge but there are no direct benefits associated with your participation.

Alternative Therapies
Sometimes there are alternatives to participating in research. Certain studies, such as those that involve a therapy or intervention, are examples of when alternatives might be available. Because this study does not involve an intervention or treatment of any kind, no alternatives are offered.

Privacy and Confidentiality
Your participation in this study is anonymous. We will do everything we can to protect your privacy. As part of this effort, your identity will not be revealed in any publication that may result from this study.

In-depth responses. When we report on the study, we create a summary table and describe the group results. If we describe individual results, we use de-identified pseudonyms or numbers never real names. We might use quotes from your online in-depth responses. If you include any private identifying information in you responses then we will delete that information.

Ethics audit. In rare instances, a researcher's study must undergo an audit or program evaluation. This may result in the disclosure of your data as well as any other information collected by the researcher. If this were to occur, such information would only be used to determine whether the researcher conducted this study properly and adequately protected your rights as a human participant. Importantly, any and all audits would maintain the confidentiality of any information reviewed by their office(s).

Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this study or feel that you have been harmed in any way by your participation in this research, please contact Zoey Pearl McCrorie, zoey.ingram@yotes.collegeofidaho.edu and/or the Faculty Sponsor, Dr. Ruth Tincoff, Associate Professor of Psychology, rtincoff@collegeofidaho.edu and 208-459-5258. If you wish to talk with someone else or if you have questions about your rights as a research participant, please contact the Human Protections Administrator of the Institutional Review Board through The College of Idaho Academic Affairs office, https://collegeofidaho.edu/offices/academic-affairs/, phone 208-459-5244.

Consent for Online Anonymous Survey

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IRB number: 2526-CofI0041.1; Approved February 26, 2026; Expires May 16, 2026

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Examining AI Companions - Study 2

Informed Consent