You are invited to participate in a research study under the direction of Nicole Rejiester and Dr. Carole Hoare of the Department of Counselor Education at George Washington University (GWU). Taking part is completely voluntary.
The purpose of this study is twofold. First, it is to examine the rates of attachment endorsed by an adult (18-49) sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals and compare those rates with a heterosexual sample. Second, this study will investigate the relationship between attachment style and perception of alienation from parents and/or peers during the coming out process for LGB individuals.
If you choose to take part in this study, you will complete a series of questions. The total amount of questions you will need to answer will depend on one key variable (your self-reported sexual orientation). The total amount of time you will spend responding to these questions is approximately 30 minutes. You may refuse to answer any question and you may stop your participation at any time.
Possible risks/discomforts you could experience during this study include a loss of confidentiality, including disclosure of your sexual orientation. This could result in psychological distress, particularly for those who are not yet fully open about their orientation. Several measures (outlined below) have been included to minimize this risk.
There are also emotional risks associated with coming out that may occur as a result of participating in this study. Distress, both psychological and interpersonal, is not uncommon, and the coming out process is often a chaotic and troubling one. Because this survey is anonymous and the data will only be published in aggregate, the potential for distress should be minimized. LGB participants will be disclosing their sexual orientation, but to a stranger who will not be able to identify them, which may be less distressing than disclosure to other people in their lives. However, experiencing emotional distress is a potential consequence of participating in this survey, and it is important to acknowledge that.
You will not benefit directly from your participation in the study. However, there are benefits to science and humankind that might result from this study, including a greater understanding of how rejection during the coming out process affects LGB individuals, which has implications in a wide variety of fields, including public policy and mental health services.
Every effort will be made to keep your information confidential. Although this cannot be absolutely guaranteed, there are multiple measures in place to make this survey as anonymous and confidential as possible. First, this survey DOES NOT ask for any personal identifying information, such as name, social security number, or e-mail address. Standard hypertext protocol secure (HTTPS) measures are included to increase privacy between you and the survey site, and your IP address will not be stored. Only the primary researcher and her dissertation committee will ever have access to the raw data, which will be stored in password protected files once downloaded from the survey site. And finally, all data published will be in aggregate form; no individuals who participated in this study will be named or identified in any way.
The Office of Human Research of George Washington University, at telephone number (202) 994-2715, can provide further information about your rights as a research participant. Further information regarding this study may be obtained by contacting Nicole Rejiester at (703) 772-0327 or via e-mail at rejieste@gwmail.gwu.edu or the principle investigator, Dr. Carole Hoare, at (202) 994-3993 or via email at choare@gwu.edu.
Your willingness to participate in this research study is implied if you proceed with completing the survey/interview. Thank you in advance for your participation.