Informed Consent

You are invited to participate in a student research project for the Senior Capstone course in Psychological Sciences at Northern Arizona University. The Faculty Advisor for this study is Jessie Lundin, Ph.D., Department of Arts & Sciences at Northern Arizona University, Yuma Branch.

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between the amount of time adult learners have been away from college and their likelihood of seeking academic support services after returning to school. Academic support services include tutoring, writing centers, and academic advising. This study will also explore whether self-identified cultural background is related to differences in help-seeking attitudes among adult learners. Your participation will help us better understand help-seeking behaviors and academic support utilization among adult learners returning to college.

Procedures: If you agree to participate, you will be asked to complete a short, online survey. Participation will take approximately 5–10 minutes to complete.

Voluntary Participation: Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary. You may choose not to participate or to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.
Risks and Benefits: We do not anticipate any risks from participating in this research.
However, if you feel uncomfortable at any time, you may stop participating. There are no direct benefits to participating; however, the information we gather will help us understand how time away from college and cultural background may influence adult learners’ attitudes toward seeking academic support services. This information may help colleges better support adult learners and improve access to academic resources.

Confidentiality: Information will be kept confidential to the extent allowed by the law. We will protect participant privacy and confidentiality by not collecting identifiable data (i.e., Name, Phone Number, Email, Address, Birthday, IP Address, etc.). Your response will be completely anonymous. We anticipate that your participation in this survey presents no greater risk than everyday use of the Internet.

Compensation: There is no compensation or incentive for participating.

Questions and Contact: For any questions about the study, please contact the Faculty Advisor, Dr. Jessie Lundin, at Jessie.Lundin@nau.edu. For inquiries or concerns about your rights as a participant, you may contact the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for Human Participants at (928) 523-9551 or IRB@nau.edu. You can also visit their website at https://nau.edu/nau-research/research-safety-and-compliance/human-research-protection-program/irbnet/.

If you would like to receive a copy of the informed consent, please let the Faculty Advisor know, and they will provide one.