Invitation to participate in research on visual imagination and sight impairment
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Researchers at Cardiff University are conducting an online study to explore visual imagination in individuals with sight impairment.
This research aims to better understand why some people experience visual hallucinations, known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome, following sight loss.
We are seeking participants who are certified as Sight Impaired or Severely Sight Impaired in the UK and are aged 18 or over. You can take part whether or not you have experienced visual hallucinations yourself.
The study is entirely online and will take approximately 60 minutes to complete. It involves filling out a questionnaire about:
- The nature of your sight impairment
- Your experience of visual hallucinations following sight loss (if applicable)
- Your ability to imagine different visual scenes vividly
Participation is completely anonymous.
Participant information
You are being invited to take part in a research project.
Before you decide whether or not to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is being undertaken and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others, if you wish.
What is the purpose of this research project?
This study aims to understand whether the likelihood of experiencing visual hallucinations following vision loss is related to vividness of visual imagery.
Why have I been invited to take part?
We are looking to recruit adults who are certified in the UK as either ‘Sight Impaired’ or ‘Severely Sight Impaired’ to take part in the study.
Do I have to take part?
No, your participation in this research project is entirely voluntary and it is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. You may ask questions by writing to the email address below. Below we will ask you for your consent to take part. If you decide not to take part, you do not have to explain your reasons and it will not affect your legal rights.
You are free to exit the questionnaire at any time, without giving a reason, even after consenting to take part.
What will taking part involve?
If you decide to volunteer for this study, we will ask you to complete an online questionnaire, which we estimate will take no more than 90 minutes to complete. If completing the questionnaire online could be difficult for you (due to vision loss), we may be able to arrange for it to be completed by telephone. To request this, please telephone 02920 688562 at any time, and leave a message requesting a callback. Please note that—depending on the level of demand—we cannot guarantee to respond to all callback requests.
Will I be paid for taking part?
There is no payment offered for taking part in this study.
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
There are no immediate or direct benefits. However, we hope that the study will improve our understanding of how visual hallucinations develop in people with vision loss.
Please note that the data collected in this questionnaire is anonymous. It is therefore not possible for your responses to be followed up by the research team. If you wish to discuss anything with the research team, you can do so by contacting the email address below.
What are the possible risks of taking part?
No significant risks are anticipated as a result of participation. However, please note that if you do experience hallucinations, you will be asked to report the extent to which you find them emotionally distressing.
Will my taking part in this research project be kept confidential?
Your responses will be anonymous. Therefore, it will not be possible for anybody to trace your responses back to you.
What will happen to my Personal Data?
No Personal Data is collected as part of this research project. The (anonymous) research data will be retained for a minimum period of 5 years after the end of the project or after publication of any findings based upon the data (whichever is later) and may be accessed by members of the research team and, where necessary, by members of the University’s governance and audit teams or by regulatory authorities.
Note that since this questionnaire does not record personally identifiable information (i.e. your participation is anonymous), it is not possible to withdraw or amend responses once they have been submitted.
What happens to the data at the end of the research project?
Anonymised data collected during the research project may made publicly available via a data repository and/or shared with other researchers. No Personal Data will be collected.
What will happen to the results of the research project?
The results from this study may be used in undergraduate dissertations, postgraduate theses and/or published in the peer reviewed literature and presented at conferences.
What if there is a problem?
If you wish to complain or have grounds for concerns about any aspect of the manner in which you have been approached or treated during the course of this research, please contact DunnMJ1@cardiff.ac.uk. If your complaint is not managed to your satisfaction, please contact the ethical committee who approved this study, at optomethics@cardiff.ac.uk.
If you are harmed by taking part in this research project, there are no special compensation arrangements. If you are harmed due to someone's negligence, you may have grounds for legal action, but you may have to pay for it.
Who is organising and funding this research project?
The research is organised by Dr Matt J Dunn of the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences in Cardiff University. The research has not received specific funding.
Who has reviewed this research project?
This research project has been reviewed and given a favourable opinion by the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences Research Ethics Committee, Cardiff University.
Further information and contact details
Should you have any questions relating to this research project, you may contact us during normal working hours:
Matt J Dunn
dunnmj1@cardiff.ac.uk
029 208 70576
School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Maindy Road, Cardiff CF24 4HQ
Thank you for considering taking part in this research project.