Informed Consent

Invitation to take part

Thank you for considering taking part in this study, conducted by Dr Dominique Makowski from the University of Sussex and his team (see contact information below). Taking part is entirely up to you, and you can decide not to without giving a reason.

Why have I been invited, and what will I do?

The aim of this study is to validate a questionnaire measuring interoception. Interoception refers to the sensing, interpretation and processing of internal bodily signals (e.g., feeling changes in the way one's heart beats). You will answer a series of questions on screen, one at a time, mostly by picking a point on a scale: first a few questions about yourself, then questionnaires about the sensations you notice in your body, plus other measures which help us contextualize your answers, such as your mood and health over the past weeks and months.

That first part takes about 30 minutes and is the whole of the study. If you are taking part for course credit or payment, it is awarded for finishing it. You will then be told that you have finished, and offered the choice of carrying on through further questionnaires if you would like to. That second part is entirely optional, carries no additional credit or payment, and you can stop anywhere in it.

Please make sure that you are attentive and in a quiet environment, and that you have the time to complete it in one go. You must be 18 or older to take part.

What will happen to the results and my personal information?

The group results of this research may be written into a scientific publication. Your anonymity will be ensured in the way described in the consent information below. Please read this information carefully and then, if you wish to take part, please acknowledge that you have fully understood this sheet, and that you consent to take part in the study as it is described here.

Your answers are recorded as you give them, rather than only at the end: each one is sent for storage the moment it is given. This means that if you stop partway through, or close the tab, the answers you have already given are kept and may be used in the research. Because the study is anonymous, there is no way to find your answers again afterwards, and so no way to take them back.

We ask for the day you were born only to work out your star sign for the feedback. It is removed, or reduced to the star sign it gives, before any data are made public.

The feedback you are shown along the way is for interest only. It is generated from brief questionnaires scored against reference values, and it is not a diagnosis, an assessment or advice. If you are worried about your mood, your health or anything the questions bring up, please speak to your doctor or another qualified professional.

Consent

• I understand that by pressing Start below I am agreeing to take part in the University of Sussex research described here, and that I have read and understood this information sheet.
• I understand that my participation is entirely voluntary, that I can choose not to participate in part or all of the study, and that I can withdraw at any stage without having to give a reason and without being penalised in any way (e.g., if I am a student, my decision whether or not to take part will not affect my grades).
• I understand that my answers are recorded as I give them, and that since the study is anonymous, it will be impossible to withdraw my data once it has been given, whether or not I finish the study.
• I understand that some of the questions ask about intimate matters (such as sexuality and bodily functions) or sensitive topics related to mental health (such as hallucinations and thoughts about death), and that I can stop at any point if I would rather not answer them.
• I understand that my personal data will be used for the purposes of this research study and will be handled in accordance with Data Protection legislation. I understand that the University's Privacy Notice provides further information on how the University uses personal data in its research.
• I understand that my collected data will be stored in a de-identified way. De-identified data may be made publicly available through secured scientific online data repositories.
• By participating, I agree to follow the instructions and provide honest answers. If I do not wish to participate, or don't have the time, I can simply close my browser.

For further information about this research, or if you have any concerns, please contact Dr Dominique Makowski (D.Makowski@sussex.ac.uk) and/or Asel Tohlukov (at775@sussex.ac.uk). This research has been approved (2026-2817-3620) by the Faculty Research Ethics Committee: Science, Engineering and Technology (F-REC) (frecsemset@sussex.ac.uk). The University of Sussex has insurance in place to cover its legal liabilities in respect of this study.