Participation Procedure and
Informed Consent Documentation

Please read and agree to the terms and conditions:

PURPOSE
In this study, you will be presented with numerous audio clips that have broken musical properties, and you will be asked to rate each audio clip on a one to ten scale, with 1 being “noise” and 10 being “music.” The purpose of this study is to identify universals in the audio cortex for musical processing, and to further advancements in music cognition and evolutionary musicology.

INCENTIVES
This study has a total of 10 surveys, each with 20 audio clips. Completing each survey is expected to take approximately 15 minutes, and you may complete as many surveys as you like. Numerous $100 prizes are being randomly given to participants who complete the study, and the more surveys you complete, the more likely you will receive a prize!

CONFIDENTIALITY
All information gathered by you will be strictly confidential. Your information will not be given or sold to solicitors, and it will not be used to damage your financial standing, employability, or reputation. Please be aware that your participation is strictly voluntary in this research, and your name will also not be associated or published in any research findings. No private information will ever be publicized to harm you.

RISK
The Biomusicology Research Foundation supports the practice of protecting participants in research. If you agree to participate, please be aware that you are free to withdraw at any point throughout the duration of the experiment, without penalty. The Western Institutional Review Board (WIRB) states that the risks to participants in this study are minimal-to-none, and additionally classifies this study as an exemption. WIRB’s IRB Affairs Department reviewed the exemption criteria under 45 CFR §46.101(b)(2). If you have any questions about this process, please contact Kelly Sovar, J.D., at 360-252-2476 or e-mail RegulatoryAffairs@wirb.com.

CONTACTS
If you have any further questions concerning this study or your rights as a participant, please feel free to contact the Principal Investigator Nicholas Evans at Nicholas.evans43@gmail.com, as he typically responds within 24 hours. If it is more immediate, you may also contact him at 970-692-3169.