MMORPG Relationships Study

[haarewin]

Do friendships form in massively multiplayer online role playing games, and do they function similarly to face to face relationships?

My name is Nick Gilbert and I am conducting this research for my final year project in Psychology. This research is designed to look at the relationships that MMORPG players have developed within the games.
You are asked to complete a short survey for the research. By e-mailing me and including the 'Consent Form' (see below), I will respond with an e-mail giving you a participant number and a link to the questionnaire. If you require more than one participant number as there are multiple players in your household that are willing to take part, please state in the e-mail as well as attaching their consent, and I can assign them. The research is open to people aged 18 and over. The questionnaire should take around 5-15 minutes.
There are minimal risks associated with this research – the same as with web browsing.
You will remain anonymous throughout the research and any stored data will also retain your anonymity.
You have the right to withdraw from the research with no explanation required at any time, and your responses will be immediately deleted and you will be excluded from the research. To withdraw from the research you should e-mail me at the address below quoting your participant number which I will assign to you.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact either me at Nicholas (dot) Gilbert (at) uwe (dot) ac (dot) uk or my supervisor, Jill (dot) Duffield (at) uwe (dot) ac (dot) uk
Thank you very much for your interest,
Nick Gilbert
Please print this sheet and keep it for your records.
Contact Information
Nick Gilbert (Nicholas (dot) Gilbert (at) uwe (dot) ac (dot) uk)
C/o Jill Duffield (Jill (dot) Duffield (at) uwe (dot) ac (dot) uk)
Faculty of Applied Sciences
University of the West of England
Coldharbour Lane
Bristol
BS16 1QY

Please read this carefully and fill in the form.
I confirm that I am over 18 years of age.
I have read the information and understand the risks associated with this research, and what is expected of me. I understand the procedure of the research. I understand that I can withdraw at any time by contacting the researcher without giving a reason. I understand that any data I provide will remain anonymous.
I give my consent to participate in this research.
Name: _________________________________
Date: _________________________________

If you would like to see the completed research, please let me know. I'll provide you with a pdf file-copy once it is completed.
Also, I know this seems like a 'long winded' way of getting people to participate. Ideally I would have just had them tick a box in the survey saying they had read the information, but the ethics committee were not happy with that so it has to be this way.
Also, should you experience any concern over your friendships as a direct result of this study the samaritans can provide confidential emotional support. Thanks in advance for participation.
PS: this post was cleared with the admins / moderators. I've been advised against putting my e-mail but I'm just doing what the ethics committee say.

 

[Naffets]

I'll help.

 

[Cadiva]

Emailed

Also just stick your email with those (at) and (dot) bits in and then people who want to be obnoxious and spam you have to actually be bothered to type it.

PS Forgot to say in the email I would be very interested in a copy of the research at the end of it and good luck with the project.

PPS I presume you've seen Nick Yee's site at Daedalus?

http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/

 

[haarewin]

Emailed

Also just stick your email with those (at) and (dot) bits in and then people who want to be obnoxious and spam you have to actually be bothered to type it.

PS Forgot to say in the email I would be very interested in a copy of the research at the end of it and good look with the project.

PPS I presume you've seen Nick Yee's site at Daedalus?

http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/

oh yeah didnt think of that. Could a mod please change the e-mail bits for me?
I'll be sure to make a post here with a link to the PDF
And yes, I've seen Nick Yee's daedalus project. I've borrowed a few of his questions as my supervisor said it would be a good idea.

 

[Mabs]

emailed

 

[Tilda]

you're going to be ruling out a large proportion of "gamers" by restricting it to 18+ imo.

 

[haarewin]

you're going to be ruling out a large proportion of "gamers" by restricting it to 18+ imo.

unfortunately it's not a choice i was allowed to make. the ethics committee will only let undergraduates carry out research with over 18s unless they can get written permission from the parents. this leads to a lot of trouble both with the ethics committee and the parents not wanting their child to participate.
thanks very much to everyone so far for your responses

 

[Dallas]

I'll help.

Im so gonna put in that your the worst person ive ever known

 

[Outlander]

I ate all the friends I made!

 

[Gear]

It's a pain in the ass trying to get subjects to interview. I swore that I'll help people as I got help when I needed it. E-mail'd.

 

[cHodAX]

Shit, I met Docwolfe whilst playing Jumpgate 6 years ago, does that mean we have a relationship??!?! I feel all gayified now, someone pass the soap!

 

[DocWolfe]

Shit, I met Docwolfe whilst playing Jumpgate 6 years ago, does that mean we have a relationship??!?! I feel all gayified now, someone pass the soap!

10 years my senior too, what a paedo groomed since the age of 14

 

[cHodAX]

10 years my senior too, what a paedo groomed since the age of 14

Bollocks, you were just a tease, never put out once. Trollop!

 

[Naffets]

Im so gonna put in that your the worst person ive ever known

eh dall, don't go confusing me with chean

 

[Ardas Nails]

Emailed

PPS I presume you've seen Nick Yee's site at Daedalus?

http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/

dammit, just spent over an hour now completing surveys on that site

 

[Gamah]

he goes to the same uni as my girlfriend :d sent the email. MY relationships with outhers are "interesting"

 

[Dakkath]

Seems an interesting project and I'm only too happy to help...

Email sent

 

[Cadiva]

dammit, just spent over an hour now completing surveys on that site

Grin It's an exceptionally good site with plenty of indepth research so you will have helped him out even more.

 

[haarewin]

the response has been great so far. could use some more respondents

 

[haarewin]

thanks again to everyone who has taken part so far. I still need more respondents

 

[evzy]

Signed up... I think

 

[Howley]

just emailed u m8.. should be interesting to see the results

 

[haarewin]

Thank you everyone who has taken part so far.
The survey will be closed after this coming sunday (23rd April).
If you wish to take part, please contact me.

 

[Vladamir]

Email inc!

 

[Klonk]

Emailed for me + gf

 

[Belomar]

Too busy doing my own human subjects testing to participate, but I feel your pain with all the consent shizznazz. I've had to do the same countless of times during my PhD, and this last time the freaking IRB took six weeks to respond.

Good luck!