Laura Gilmore, a PhD student the University of Alberta, has asked us to help locate people to participate in some research.

She is looking for people with autism and without ASD who do not use Second Life.

She writes “I am a first year PhD student at the University of Alberta and am continuing work from my Master’s Thesis. Seeking participants for graduate student research survey on second life participation for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and those who do not have ASD. Interested in both users of Second Life and Individuals who do not use Second Life. The link below will take you to the survey. Thank you for considering my survey.”

You can take the survey here.

Background.

Previous research has suggested that people can learn social skills from participating in 3D replicas of real life situations. However, there has been little research about potential of these 3D replicas of real life situations to be socially beneficial for those who participate in them.

Study Procedures

Participants will be invited to click on a hyperlink and be given the opportunity to complete an online survey. In this survey, there are no right or wrong answers, we simply want to know how participants solve social problems and how they perceive their own well being. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete.

Benefits

If this study finds a positive association between participation in family role play and social problem solving skills and well-being among adults it will be used as a basis for future studies that may support the use of virtual environments in therapy.

Risk

The risks involved in participating in this study are no more than what would be experienced in a normal day.

Voluntary Participation

You are under no obligation to participate in this study and can exit the survey at any time. As surveys will be anonymous upon submission, you will not be able to withdraw your data once the survey is submitted.

Confidentiality & Anonymity

This research will be used for completion of a thesis by Laura Gilmour and a potential publication of a research paper. Addresses and Second Life usernames which will be deleted immediately after data has been collected. The only individuals who will have access to the survey data will be Laura Gilmour and her research supervisor Dr. Veronica Smith. The data will be stored on an encrypted, password-protected computer in for five years before being destroyed.

The plan for this study has been reviewed for its adherence to ethical guidelines by a Research Ethics Board at the University of Alberta. For questions regarding participant rights and ethical conduct of research, contact the Research Ethics Office at (780) 492-2615.