PROVIDING CARE FOR HOMELESS DOGS: A SURVEY OF FACTORS AFFECTING CARING BEHAVIOURS

Participant Information Statement

The research is being carried out by a fourth year psychology student in partial fulfilment of a Psychology Honours degree and by a group of 25-30 third-year psychology students enrolled in PSY3RPB, “Research Project B” in partial fulfilment of the Bachelor of Psychology degree. It is being conducted under the supervision of Prof. Pauleen Bennett and Jessica Dawson. The following researchers will be conducting the study:

Role Name Organisation
Principle Investigator Prof. Pauleen Bennett Department of Psychology and Counselling, La Trobe University Bendigo
Associate Investigator Jessica Dawson Department of Psychology and Counselling, La Trobe University Bendigo
Student Michelle Soler Department of Psychology and Counselling, La Trobe University Bendigo
Students Psychology Third Year Group Department of Psychology and Counselling, La Trobe University Bendigo
Research Funder This research is supported by La Trobe University

What is the study about?

You are invited to participate in a study about the human-dog relationship. It is thought that various attitudes and beliefs may influence people’s intentions to help homeless dogs, such as by engaging in dog-fostering or donating money or time to an animal shelter or rescue group. These attitudes and beliefs, in turn, are typically predicted by a range of individual differences, such as aspects of a person’s personality and their core values. Levels of empathy and one’s basic orientation towards animals (for example, whether they are perceived as sentient beings or mindless automatons) might also influence people’s helping intentions towards homeless dogs. Currently, not much is known about the influence of such factors on people’s dog-helping intentions. We hope to learn more about individual differences and whether they can be used to explain how people relate to homeless dogs. We have designed this online survey to address this issue.


Do I have to participate?

Being part of this study is voluntary. If you want to be part of the study, we ask that you read the information below carefully. You can read the information below and decide at the end if you do not want to participate. If you decide not to participate this won’t affect your relationship with La Trobe University or any other organisation.


Who is being asked to participate?

You have been asked to participate because you are above the age of 18 years and understand written English.


What will I be asked to do?

If you want to take part in this study, we will ask you to complete an online survey by rating statements about your attitudes, behaviours and interactions with dogs. It will take approximately 20 minutes of your time to be part of this study.


What are the benefits?

The benefit of you taking part in this study is that you will contribute to research about the human-dog relationship. You also have an opportunity to reflect on your own attitudes, behaviours and interactions with homeless dogs. We hope that this survey can demonstrate that individual differences influence people’s intentions to help homeless dogs and that this may prove useful for those wanting to encourage these behaviours. To thank you for your participation, there will be an opportunity at the end of the survey for you to provide an email address, which will be used to enter you into a draw for one of four $AUD 50 gift vouchers.


What are the risks?

With any study there are (1) risks we know about, (2) risks we don’t know about, and (3) risks we don’t expect. There may be a risk for minor negative emotions or psychological discomfort due to some questions on the survey. Due to social distancing people may rely more heavily on their pets for emotional support (especially if they have no family around) and recalling emotive memories may have stronger effects in the current COVID situation than they would have in normal circumstances. If you experience something that you aren’t sure about, please contact us immediately so we can discuss the best way to manage your concerns.

Name/Organisation Position Telephone Email
Prof. Pauleen Bennett Principle Investigator +61 3 5444 7460 pauleen.bennett@latrobe.edu.au


In Australia, organisations that can provide emotional support include:

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

Lifeline: 13 11 14

For international participants, a list of support organisations can be found at the following website: Click Here


What will happen to information about me?

By agreeing to participate at the end of this page, this tells us you want to take part in the study. Information provided by you may be included in a thesis, presentation and published in journals.

We will collect information about you in ways that will not reveal who you are.

We will store information about you in ways that will not reveal who you are.

We will publish information about you in ways that you will not be identified in any type of publication from this study.

We will keep your information for at least five (5) years after the project is completed. After this time, we may destroy all of your data. While we retain your data it may be used by members of our research group for other related studies.

The storage, transfer and destruction of your data will be undertaken in accordance with the Research Data Management Policy https://policies.latrobe.edu.au/document/view.php?id=106/.

The personal information you provide will be handled in accordance with applicable privacy laws, any health information collected will be handled in accordance with the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic). Subject to any exceptions in relevant laws, you have the right to access and correct your personal information by contacting the research team.


Will I hear about the results of the study?

You can request to know about the results of the study by email. You can click a box at the end of the survey and provide an email address for this purpose.


What if I change my mind?

If you no longer want to complete the questionnaire, simply close the web browser. If you change your mind after beginning the study, we cannot withdraw your responses because we cannot link who you are with your questionnaire responses.

Your decision to withdraw at any point will not affect your relationship with La Trobe University or any other organisation.


Who can I contact for questions or if I want more information?

If you would like to speak to us, please use the contact details below:

Name/Organisation Position Telephone Email
Prof. Pauleen Bennett Principle Investigator +61 3 5444 7460 pauleen.bennett@latrobe.edu.au


What if I have a complaint?

If you have a complaint about any part of this study, please contact:

Ethics Approval Number Position Telephone Email
HEC20303 Senior Research Ethics Officer +61 3 9479 1443 humanethics@latrobe.edu.au

A pdf copy of this information statement is provided below.

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