Researchers:
Vivian Mullins
Honours Thesis Student
Department of Military Psychology and Leadership, Royal Military College of Canada
Email: vivian.mullins@rmc.ca
Alexandra Zidenberg, PhD
Adjunct Professor, Department of Military Psychology and Leadership, Royal Military College of Canada
Assistant Professor, School of Criminology, University of Montreal
Email: alexandra.zidenberg@rmc-cmr.ca; alexandra.zidenberg@umontreal.ca
Phone: (514) 343-6111 ext. 6582
Procedure and purpose: The goal of this study is to explore the relationship between the accuracy of criminal profiling skills and exposure to crime media. In order to accomplish this, you will be presented with a case study of a real crime (with details changed to protect the privacy of the victim) and to answer questions about the presumed perpetrator of the crime. You will also be asked a series of questions about your crime media consumption and your attitudes toward the criminal justice system, and some demographic questions. To participate, you must be a minimum of 18 years of age. The survey should take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
Potential Benefits: Participants will be offered the opportunity to enter a draw for a $50 gift card (pending approval). To enter you will be directed to click a link to a separate page on SurveyMonkey where you will enter your email address. Your email addresses will not be linked to your responses. You will also have the opportunity to contribute to research on profiling and potentially improve our understanding of how crime media can impact people’s skills related to the criminal justice system.
Potential Risks: During participation in this study, there is the potential to experience some discomfort due to the sensitive nature of the questions and case study. The case study does include details of a crime which includes sexual elements. Some items may be difficult to answer or uncomfortable to rate; however, they are unlikely to cause significant psychological or emotional discomfort. Please remember that you have the right to skip any questions you wish or to discontinue your participation at any time without penalty. If you wish, you may contact the research team at the contact information above to discuss the study. If you require further support, please consider contacting your local crisis intervention service. International Resources can be accessed here: https://findahelpline.com/
Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566
Wellness Together Canada: 1-866-585-0445
Sexual Violence Helpline: 1-888-933-9007
Storage of Data: Strict guidelines will be followed to protect your privacy. The study is completely anonymous and confidential, and the researcher team will not be able to identify who has completed the study. Only group data will be reported and a summary of results will be distributed to those who request. Your anonymous data may be reanalysed in future research projects. If that is the case, all the current privacy protections will apply to that reuse, and you will not be identifiable. Data will be deleted from SurveyMonkey, made only accessible by the research team, and anonymous data will be stored indefinitely with them. The information will reside on a password-protected computer in a secure setting for the duration of the storage term described above. Data will be removed from SurveyMonkey once the data collection period is completed.
Please note that Survey Monkey does not guarantee the security of information on their site. However, they state that they use the highest level of security possible on the internet. It is strongly suggested that you review Survey Monkey’s statements about the security of information, prior to completing this survey. Furthermore, Survey Monkey stores personal information in the United States where where pri