Video Gamer Evaluations

Research Description
You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Tai Salisbury and Dr. Ruth Tincoff, Faculty Sponsor and Associate Professor, in the Psychology Department at The College of Idaho.  The overall purpose of this research is to understand the perceptions of gamers who achieve high ranks in video games. During this study you will read a brief text about a gamer and answer questions about the gamer. You will also see some additional questions about you and your gaming experience.

This research study is designed as an experiment. I have explained the general purpose of this research study to you and what you will do. At the end of the study, I will explain more fully about the specific hypotheses and the specific research purpose.

Time. The amount of time required for your participation will be approximately 15-30 minutes. 

Number of Participants. We aim to include 54-75 participants in this research study. 

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 may skip any questions that make you uncomfortable or any questions you do not wish to answer. You will receive a copy of this form.  

Compensation  

For participants registered through Sona, you will receive 0.5 Sona credits for participating in this anonymous online research study. Your instructor explains in the syllabus and course materials how Sona credits can be used for course assignments. For participants accessing the survey through social media, there is no compensation.

Risks

The risks presented by this study are similar to what you might experience in everyday life answering questions online about beliefs you have on a topic. Your anonymous consent and survey response are collected on the password-protected Alchemer.com platform, a company not affiliated with The College of Idaho and with its own privacy and security policies that you can find on its website. We anticipate that your participation in this study presents no greater risk than everyday use of the Internet.

Benefits 

There are no direct benefits associated with your participation in this research. The information from this study will help us learn more about the perceptions of video gamers. 

Alternative Procedures or Courses of Treatment 
Certain studies, such as those that involve a therapy or treatment, are examples of when alternative procedures or treatments might be available.  This research study does not provide a therapy or treatment. We do not offer an alternative activity.

Privacy, Confidentiality, and Data Storage
We will do everything we can to protect your privacy. Your consent and responses in this study are anonymous. Electronic information is kept in password-protected secure systems. When we report on the results we use group results. Your identity will not be revealed in any publication that may result from this study. 

Ethics Audits. 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.

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 Student Researcher Tai Salisbury at Tai.Salisbury@yotes.collegeofidaho.edu or Dr. Ruth Tincoff at rtincoff@collegeofidaho.edu or by phone 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.

IRB number: TBD, Approved Laura Moylan March 23, 2026, Expires May 16, 2026

To keep a copy of this online consent form, please use the browser to print this page to a PDF. 

Consent Statement with Anonymous Consent