Invitation to Online Research in Collaboration With University of Sussex to Help Understanding What Makes Certain Sounds Unpleasant to Some People.

 

We are conducting research to better understand the different kinds of sound intolerance that exist (linked to hyperacusis, misophonia, autism).  We are keen to recruit an adult (18-65 years) sample with hyperacusis.  You can still take part if you have tinnitus.  But you should not take part if you have hearing loss. This study is conducted online and you will need a computer/laptop to complete it.  It primarily consists of listening to short clips of sounds and then rating them.  These are everyday sounds and most people would regard them as not aversive.  If you do have particular ‘trigger’ sounds then these will be infrequent.  In addition to providing sound ratings there is a series of questionnaires relating to sound tolerance and general behavioural tendencies.  It takes around 90 minutes spread across two sessions and we will enter you in a prize draw for £25.

 

Before you decide whether or not to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully. There are 2 links at the bottom of this page for the 2 parts of this study (Part one and Part two). To take part you would need to click on the relevant link.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY?

For some people everyday sounds can trigger a strong aversive reaction, and this can impact negatively on the quality of life. The aim of this research is to identify different profiles of sound intolerance. You can take part in this research whether you think that you have problems with certain sounds or not.

WHY HAVE I BEEN INVITED TO PARTICIPATE?

You have been asked to take part because have hyperacusis. We are testing people between 18-65 years of age. To take part you should have normal or corrected-to-normal vision and normal hearing. You can take part if you have tinnitus.

DO I HAVE TO TAKE PART?

It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you do decide to take part you can download a copy of this information sheet to keep and you will be asked to provide consent. If you decide to take part you are still free to withdraw at any time during the study and without giving a reason. You can ask for your data to be removed from the analysis within four weeks of taking part.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME IF I TAKE PART?

The research is conducted online and takes up to 90 minutes. We will divide it into two parts for your comfort but you can take in one session if you prefer. For most of this time you would listen to a sound clip (15 seconds long) and then provide some ratings. These are everyday sounds (e.g. chewing, tapping, cars) that most people do not find particularly aversive. If you do have intolerances to specific sounds then your ‘triggers’ are likely to appear infrequently. We also have a set of questionnaires that ask about sound intolerance and behavioural traits. None of these questionnaires offer a medical diagnosis but are instead designed to capture variability within the general population. An ideal set-up for the study would be being seated in a quiet room with headphones and a computer monitor or laptop (not phone or tablet). If you don’t have headphones then this is ok, provided you have a quiet space.

You will be entered into a prize draw to win £25 (with four potential winners!). This research will increase our scientific knowledge of an underexplored area, but it has no immediate bearing on any medical diagnosis or treatment. By publishing the findings, the results will hopefully inform future policy and practice in the field.

WILL MY INFORMATION IN THIS STUDY BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL?

All information collected about the individual (‘personal data’) will be kept strictly confidential (subject to legal limitations). You, and your data, will be assigned a unique identifier that will be used to name the files. Outputs arising from the research (e.g. scientific publications) will not contain any personal data that would permit identification. Your name and contact details will be stored separately from your data in a password protected file. The anonymised data will be uploaded to a recognised open access repository (e.g., OSF) to enable researchers from around the world to be able to reanalyse and make use of the data.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH STUDY?

The results of the study will be published in scientific journals. We will e-mail you a summary of our findings (if you want one) and a lay summary of the results will be available on our website (http://www.misophonia-hub.org/).

WHO HAS APPROVED THIS STUDY?

The research has been approved by the Sciences & Technology Cross-Schools Research Ethics Committee (C-REC) of the University of Sussex, ethical review application number (ER/JAMIEW/35). If you have any ethical concerns, please contact the ethics chair (crecscitec@sussex.ac.uk). The University of Sussex has insurance in place to cover its legal liabilities in respect of this study.

CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information, please contact Professor Jamie Ward (jamiew@sussex.ac.uk) or the student researcher, Tugce Erten (te96@sussex.ac.uk).

 

 

We hope that you will consider helping out this important research, but there is no obligation to do so.  The links to the studies are below and for further information please contact Prof. Jamie Ward (jamiew@sussex.ac.uk).

 

Part 1: https://universityofsussex.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9t8YDODjnDMnJgW

 

Part 2: https://universityofsussex.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1MTApxDN7MqtRDU

 

 

 

For Hearing Healthcare Professionals