FAQ's ABOUT THE CU/NYU COLLEGE LIFE STUDY

Roommate Requirements:

Q: What if I'm not comfortable asking my roommate?
A: As long as you can provide the contact information, we will contact your roommate ourselves.

Q: What if my roommate won’t sign up?
A: Recruiting a roommate or suitemate is a required condition of participating in the College Life Study, so if you can’t get a roommate to sign up, you will be unable to participate.

Q: What if I don’t know my roommate’s behavior well? What if I can’t answer some of the questions about my roommate?
A: Even if you don’t know your roommate very well now, the College Life Study will continue through the entire academic year, and you may get to know them better over that time.  If you are ever unsure of the answer to a question regarding your roommate’s behavior, simply give your best guess.

Q: Will my roommate know what I say about them?
A: No. All responses given over the course of the College Life Study will remain completely confidential, and the questionnaires you fill out will not be identified by your name.  You should refrain from discussing your survey responses with your roommate.

Q: What if my roommate drops out? What if my roommate moves out or goes abroad?
A: If your roommate drops out of the study, we will no longer ask you to answer questions about them, but you will be invited to continue in the study.

Q: What if I have an additional roommate who wants to participate?
A: Because of the design of the College Life Study, roommates must be studied in pairs. If a third roommate would like to participate, they will have to recruit a fourth roommate, and if no such roommate exists, they will not be able to join.  We will accept roommate participants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Q: Can I ask a friend to do the College Life Study with me instead of a roommate?
A: No.

Questionnaire Details:

Q: What types of questions will I have to answer?  How detailed do I have to be about food/beverage consumption and health?
A: The questionnaires will include a variety of questions about mood and stress.  A few specific questions will be asked, and you should answer them to the best of your ability.  All responses will be kept completely confidential.

Q: Will anyone know what I say on the questionnaires?
A: No.  All responses are entirely confidential, and there is no way for anyone to find out they are your answers.

Q: Where and when will I fill out the questionnaires?
A: You will take the questionnaires online once you have been notified that it’s available.  When you’re given a date to fill out the questionnaire, you will be able to access and complete it at any time on that day.

Q: When and where can I view the results of the study?
A: We will make the results available to you upon completion of the College Life Study.

Q: How many questionnaires will I have to complete?
A: You will complete between two and four questionnaires, depending on which condition of the study you are randomly selected into.

Q: What is the timeline of the College Life Study?
A: You will sign up for the study in early September, and depending on how many questionnaires you are selected to complete, you will be sent questionnaires periodically until April 2010.

Cortisol Substudy:

Q: How likely is it that I will be selected for the cortisol substudy?
A: 50 people will be randomly selected to participate in the substudy.

Q: What is cortisol?
A: Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal gland. During times of stress, cortisol is secreted at higher levels.

Q: What will I have to do if I am selected for the substudy?
A: If selected for the study, you will pick up supplies at the Couples Lab, where you’ll receive detailed instructions.  When you have to give a sample, you will simply use a q-tip to swab the back of your mouth, put it in a tube, and bring it back to the lab.

Q: Can I choose not to participate in the cortisol sub-study if selected?
A: Yes.

Payment:

Q: How do you determine how much money I will make?
A: Participants will be randomly assigned into study conditions requiring them to fill out anywhere from two to four questionnaires.  Compensation will depend on the number of questionnaires you fill out.

Q: How will I be paid?
A: For each questionnaire you fill out, you will receive ten dollars. After completion of each questionnaire, you will have the choice of being paid via an online electronic gift code that would be sent to your email, or by coming to our lab (at either NYU or Columbia) where you could pick up $10 in cash.

Consent Forms:

Q: How do I get a consent form?
A: You can download the consent form from our website on the sign-up page. You will need to print it out and drop off or mail it back to the lab.

Q: Where do I drop off my consent form?
A: Consent forms can be dropped off at the Couples Lab at Columbia or the Couples Lab at NYU, or mailed to the Couples Lab at Columbia. Please refer to the "How to Return a Consent Form" sheet.