Participant Information Sheet (PIS)
Study title: The Relationship between AI-Related Techno-Stressors, Organisational Technostress Inhibitors and Mental Wellbeing among Knowledge Workers
You are being invited to take part in a research study. Before deciding, it is essential to understand why the research is being conducted and what it entails. Please take time to read the following information carefully. The researcher’s details are included on this form, should you wish to ask any questions before taking part. Thank you for reading this.
What is the purpose of the study?
This study is being carried out as part of an MSc in Psychology of Mental Health and Wellbeing at the University of Wolverhampton. It looks at how stress linked to artificial intelligence (AI) tools at work relates to people's wellbeing, and whether this relationship differs depending on the support an organisation provides around those tools. You will complete one online questionnaire that takes about 15 minutes, including reading this sheet. Data collection runs for approximately three weeks.
Why have I been chosen?
You have been invited because you are aged 18 or over, currently employed by an organisation (not self-employed) in a knowledge-based role (work that mainly involves handling, analysing, creating or communicating information), and you regularly use AI tools that your employer has introduced for your work. Under the study's ethics conditions, people with a medically diagnosed mental health condition cannot take part. We are aiming to hear from around 120 people. You can take part from any country, provided you can read and complete the questionnaire in English. You may have seen this invitation in a post by the researcher or received it from someone who shared it with you.
Do I have to take part?
It is up to you to decide whether to take part, and there is no obligation, including if you know the researcher. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to confirm your consent by ticking boxes on the next page. You can stop at any time before submitting the questionnaire by closing your browser, in which case your incomplete answers will be deleted and not used. If you change your mind after submitting, you can withdraw your answers within 72 hours by emailing the researcher with the IP address of the device you used (search 'what is my IP address' on the same device and network) and the approximate date and time you took part. After 72 hours, IP addresses are deleted, so your answers can no longer be identified or removed.
What will happen if I decide to take part?
After reading this sheet you will be asked to tick boxes to confirm that you consent to take part and that you meet the criteria above. You will then complete three short questionnaires about your wellbeing, your experience of the AI tools at work, and the support your organisation provides around them. You will then see a debrief page. There is no payment for taking part.
What are the potential benefits and risks of taking part?
There are no direct benefits to you, but the study will add to what is known about how organisations can introduce AI in ways that protect wellbeing. There are no risks beyond those of everyday working life. The questions are about your general wellbeing and your experience of technology at work. They do not ask about mental health conditions or distressing events. If any question prompts you to reflect on something you find difficult, you may skip it or stop, and sources of support are listed on the debrief page.
Will my taking part in the study be kept confidential?
Yes. No names, email addresses or employer names are collected, and location tracking is switched off in the survey software. Your IP address is kept for 72 hours so that you can withdraw and is then deleted
Please note that no internet transmission can be guaranteed fully secure. Your answers will be stored on the researcher's password-protected University OneDrive account, accessible only to the researcher and their supervisor, and may be reviewed by examiners. Results will be reported as group averages only so no individual can be identified.
What will happen at the end of the research study?
Responses will be analysed statistically to look at the relationships between the questionnaires. The results will be written up as a dissertation for the partial fulfilment of the MSc in Psychology of Mental Health and Wellbeing at the University of Wolverhampton and may later be submitted for publication in an academic journal or presented at a conference. An anonymised dataset may be placed in an open research repository. Anonymised data will be kept for the current academic year plus six years and then deleted.
What if I have a problem or concern?
If you have any concerns, please contact the Dean of Research Culture and Postgraduate Research, Prof. Laura Caulfield, at [email protected], or the administrative lead and research integrity manager, Jill Morgan, at [email protected].
Who has reviewed the study?
This study has been reviewed and approved as ethically appropriate by Rita Molnar and second reviewer Zakiyyah Ahmed, University of Wolverhampton.
Contact for further information
If you have any questions, you can contact the researcher, Padraig Coleman, at [email protected], or the researcher's supervisor, Rita Molnar, at [email protected].
Thank you for your interest in participating in this study.
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