Study title:
Association between Social Comparison Orientation and the frequency of seeking personal advice from AI
You are being invited to take part in a research study. Before you decide, it is important for you to read this document to understand the aim of this research. Please take your time to read this document carefully, and don’t hesitate to contact us for any question. Please take time to read the following information carefully and consider asking us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information; 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?
Large Language Models, commonly referred to as Artificial Intelligence, are rapidly transforming the way people search for information on the internet, and there is growing interest in exploring its future implications for society.
These days, lots of people ask AI chatbots (like ChatGPT, Gemini or Grok) for personal advice – for example about relationships, health, money, career changes, or even about their appearance. This research aims to find out if certain traits make some people more likely to do this, and how often they do.
Why have I been chosen?
This research studies how people use AI systems. You are eligible if you are 18 years or older, and you have used at least one of these AI chatbots: ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok or DeepSeek. The study needs 64 participants, and the surveys will automatically close once this number has been reached.
Do I have to take part?
It is up to you to decide whether to take part. If you do decide to take part, you will be given this information sheet to keep and be asked to sign a consent form. You are still free to withdraw at any time without giving a reason. To withdraw the research, it will be sufficient to communicate the assigned id.
However, because your responses will be stored using only a participant id number, withdrawal will be possible up until the point at which the planned number of participants has been reached and data analysis begins. After that point the link between your name and your participant id will be permanently deleted, and it will be no longer possible to identify or remove your individual responses.
What will happen if I decide to take part?
If you choose to take part in the research, you will be given an identification number and a link to the survey. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. After you submit your responses, you will immediately see a brief debriefing page. Your data will be entered in a statistical analysis tool. The full results and a complete explanation of the study will be available on request from 9 February 2026 onwards.
What are the potential benefits and risks of taking part?
There are no direct benefits for you for taking part. However, your participation will help us understand how people use chatbots for personal advice and how the tendency to compare with others influences this behaviour. The results may improve the design of future research studies.
The survey consists of standard questions that are commonly used in research, and they don’t pose significant risks. Some people feel slightly uncomfortable when answering personal questions, but you are free to skip any question you do not wish to answer and you may stop completing the survey before clicking “submit”.
Will my taking part in the study be kept confidential?
Yes, the information about your participation will be kept confidential. Personal data will only be temporarily stored until the end of the study, which falls on the 9th of February 2026. After the end of this study your informed consent and any personal connection to your participant’s identification number will be deleted. By then, your name or any identifying information won’t be attached to the research data.
What will happen at the end of the research study?
Once we have received the planned number of responses, the survey will be closed, and all the data will be analysed using appropriate software.
The study is being conducted by Luca Buffa as part of his master’s dissertation in Psychology at the University of Wolverhampton.
As soon as the dissertation has been examined (expected by 9th of February 2026), a short, easy-to-read summary of the main findings can be emailed to you on request.
What if I have a problem or concern?
If you have a concern about any aspect of this study, you should ask to speak with the researchers who will do their best to answer your questions. If you wish to raise concerns regarding research being undertaken by the University of Wolverhampton, you may contact the research integrity leads. The senior lead for research integrity is Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research & Knowledge Exchange - Professor Prashant Pillai, MBE (
p.pillai@wlv.ac.uk). The administrative lead is the Research Integrity Manager - Miss Jill Morgan (
J.Morgan4@wlv.ac.uk).
Who has reviewed the study?
This study has been reviewed by the Research Ethic Committee, and the Supervisor of the dissertation is Dr. George Farmer.
Contact for further information.
For further information you can contact Luca Buffa (L.Buffa@wlv.ac.uk).
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