Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies and Thinking About the Past
Phase: NA
Conditions: Alcohol Drinking in College
Sponsor: Texas A&M University

Official Title of Study: Alcohol PBS and Thinking about the Past 
 
NCT Number: Not Assigned  
 
Unique Protocol ID: IRB20201070D 
 
Date of Document: 09/10/2021 
 
 

IRB Application (Human Research) (Version 1.7)
1.0
General Information
*Please enter the full title of your study:
Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies and Thinking about the Past
 
 
*Please enter a reference or other description for this study. This field is required, but will not be referenced by the staff. It is for your 
use:
Alcohol PBS - CF
* This field allows you to enter an abbreviated version of the Study Title to quickly identify this 
study.
 
 
2.0
Add Department(s)
2.1 List departments associated with this study. If the study is funded, please associate it with the correct A&M System member.:
Primary 
Dept?
Department Name
TAMU - 
 - Psychology
College of Liberal Arts
TAMU - 
 - Psychology
TAMU
TAMU - 
 - Not Specified
Texas A&M University
 
3.0
Assign key study personnel (KSP) access to the project
3.1 *Please add a Principal Investigator for the study:
 
Smallman, Rachel
 
3.2 If applicable, please select the Research Staff personnel. Please note if you do not find the personnel needed, please contact 
the iRIS support line at 845-4969. IRB Note: These personnel will need to sign off on the initial application submission.
 
A) Additional Investigators
Fields, Sherecce A 
 Co-Investigator
B) Research Support Staff
Arthur, Kianna 
 Grad Student
Bechtel, Alexis 
 Research Assistant
Hamdan, Hadeel 
 Research Assistant
Harrell, Ava 
 Research Assistant
Hill, Rebecca 
G

 Research Assistant
Lowe, Jessica 
 Grad Student
Mayrant, Dawson 
 Research Assistant
Rives, Dalton 
 Research Assistant
Rodriguez, Anahi 
 Research Assistant
Zepeta Mendez, Melissa 
 Research Assistant
3.3 *Please add a Study Contact:
 
Smallman, Rachel 
The Study Contact(s) will receive all important system notifications along with the Principal 
Investigator. (e.g. The project contact(s) are typically either the Study Coordinator or the Principal 
Investigator themselves).
3.4 If applicable, please add a Faculty Advisor:
 
3.5 Please select the Designated Department or Supervisor Approval(s)(not required for Animal Use Protocol):
 
Lench, Heather 
Department Chair
For 
 and IBC, add the name of the individual authorized to approve and sign off on this 
IRB*
protocol from your Unit (e.g. the Department Chair or Dean). *REQUIRED*
4.0  
Request to the Human Research Protection Program :: Please Select 
 of the 
ONE
options below.
Version 03.30.2021
4.1  I am conducting Human Subjects Research, and I want to proceed to the regular application.
 Yes   
 No
Which IRB reviews your research?
TAMU IRB 
Dentistry IRB 
4.2  I am requesting a determination - is my project human subjects research?
  Yes   
  No
4.3  I am requesting a determination to see if my research falls into an EXEMPTION category.
  Yes   
  No

4.4  I am requesting to defer to an external IRB (that is not IRB TAMU or IRB Dentistry).
  Yes   
  No
4.5  I am requesting a "Delayed Onset" of human subjects research determination.
  Yes   
  No
5.0  
Study Personnel Qualifications
 
 
5.1  Study Personnel Qualifications
Select the Study Personnel from the list created earlier in the application. Then provide the qualifications 
and role information for that study personnel selection as applicable to this study.
Study Personnel
Qualifications
Role in Study and Duties 
delegated by PI
Smallman, Rachel
PhD social psychology
Advisor and PI
Arthur, Kianna
PhD student, supervised by 
Dr. Smallman
running participants online.
Lowe, Jessica
PhD student, supervised by 
Dr. Smallman
Running participants online.
Fields, Sherecce A
PHD clinical psychology
Co-Investigator
5.2  External Site or Study Personnel   Please list the study personnel on your study who are not associated with Texas A&M. 
Additional documentation and agreements may be needed for these individuals.
Will an external site review the research?
  Yes   
  No
If yes, what is the name of the external site?
Name
Institution
Telephone
E-mail
Role
No External Personnel has been added to this Study
Name (from above)
Briefly describe how the 
person will participate 
in human subjects 
research activities
Experience, training, 
education for these 
activities
Most recent CITI
/alternative training 
date
No records have been added
The IRB only needs education or CITI certificate for external personnel if there is no other IRB reviewing 
the research or if they are a part of the TAMU team.
6.0  
Texas A&M University Human Research Protection Program

Project Application Form
Study Introduction
 
6.1  
 
Application Checklist
The following checklist is a guide for researchers regarding supporting documents that must be 
considered for and/or uploaded with this application for review and approval before use.
Informed Consent Document
Information Sheet
Waiver of HIPAA Authorization
Parental Permission Form/Minor Assent Form
Recruitment materials (i.e. flyers, emails, advertisements, telephone scripts, social media posts)
Site Authorization Letter (for study conduct and/or access to administrative records)
Survey/Questionnaire/Data Collection/Abstraction Forms
Grant Applications (cover to cover), required if funded or grant submitted
Instructions
Protocol Investigator’s Brochure (for clinical trials only)
Case report form (for clinical trials only)
Device Manual (if using an approved or investigational device)
Thesis/dissertation proposal
Waiver of parental permission/minor assent form
Letter of cultural evaluation for international research (link to SOP)
IRB approvals from collaborating institutions
Any other documents related to the research
CVs for all investigators when proposed activities are more than minimal risk
CITI training for all personnel
6.2  
 
Proprietary Information
This protocol includes confidential and/or proprietary information to be protected from disclosure.
  Yes   
  No
6.3  Is this research funded? 
Please identify your funding source, if applicable.
View 
Details
Sponsor Name
Sponsor Type
Funding 
Through
Contract 
Type:
Project 
Number 
Award 
Number 
No Sponsor has been added to this Study
Please provide the name of the PI on the funding/grant if it is different from this IRB application.
Will funds from Qatar be used to fund this research?
  Yes   
  No
* If the response to this question is Yes, then approval by an IRB in Qatar may also be 
required.
 
6.4  Has an entity conducted a scientific peer-review of this research?
  Yes   
  No
If Yes, please specify:

6.5  Fee for Service Information
Is a company providing contract services associated with this research in which 
no company personnel are considered collaborators in the research (will not 
receive professional recognition or included in presentations or publications 
about the research)?
  Yes   
  No
If yes, please provide the name of the company and the contact name.
If a contract exists for this study, was the fee for service information included in the primary award 
information?
  Yes   
  No
If yes, please provide a copy of the contract.
 
Version
Title
Category
Expiration 
Date
Document 
Outcome
Checked Out
View 
Document
No Document(s) have been attached to this form.
6.6  Is this project part of a dissertation, thesis, or record of study?
  Yes   
  No
If available, please attach the proposal under Other Study Documents at the conclusion of the application. 
If not yet available, submit it as an amendment form when available.
7.0  
Study Scope
7.1  Research Classification
Select all that apply:
Social/Behavioral
Biomedical
Both
Clinical Trial
Other, specify
For Social/Behavioral Research, select all that apply.
Questionnaire/Survey
Observation (investigator observing participants)
Retrospective study of records existing at time of this application
Exposure to some type of stimulus or intervention (includes device or substance)
Participant observation (investigator acts as participant)
Interview
Focus Group
Other, specify

7.2  
 
Vulnerable Populations  
Identify any vulnerable populations that will be included in the study:
 
Children (for example, in Texas, under 18)
Pregnant women, human fetuses, neonates
Individuals with physical disabilities
Individuals with cognitive disabilities
Economically or educationally disadvantaged persons
Prisoners
Other (for example, individuals with psychiatic disorders, emotional/social impairments, depression, 
etc.)
No Vulnerable Populations will be included.
If Other, then please explain:
 
Describe additional safeguards planned to protect the rights and welfare of vulnerable subjects:
 
If a subject transitions into one of the vulnerable populations (pregnant women or cognitively impaired), 
will the study procedures place them at any additional risk?
 
  Yes   
  No
If a subject becomes incarcerated (including awaiting sentencing, court-mandated treatment, or in 
prison), contact the IRB immediately.
 
Please justify the use of vulnerable/special populations.
8.0  
Project Overview - Protocol Section Begins Here
8.1  
 
Project Summary
In the space below, provide a summary of the project. Include information about background and rationale for the 
study including preliminary data, purpose, objectives, specific aims, and research questions. Character limit: 5,000 
(applies to first box).
Background
Individuals often think of how a situation or outcome could have turned out differently -- if only something 
was different or something had changed, then the outcome could have been better or worse. This is a common 
type of thinking, known as counterfactual thinking, that often takes the form of “if only” statements. These 
thoughts are frequent after negative events, but have also been found to occur after positive events and 'near 
misses'. Research has shown that their evaluative nature elicits a variety of consequences, such as biased decision 
making, changes in an event's meaningfulness, heightened positive or negative affect, and future behavioral 
changes (such as intentions, motivation, persistence/effort; for review, see: Epstude & Roese, 2008; Roese & 
Epstude, 2017). Specifically, many areas of research involving counterfactuals have often looked into key elements 
that are often discussed in other health behavior literature, such as self-efficacy, motivation, and intentions (Tal-
Or, Boninger, & Gleicher, 2004; Wong, 2007; Smalllman & Roese, 2009). One such area that incorporates these 
elements is health promotion literature, such as Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS) and alcohol consumption 

(Dvork, Pearson, Neighbors, Martens, & Stevenson, 2016; Dvorak, Pearson, Neighbors, & Martens, 2015). The 
objectives of this study are laid out as such: First, to further explore the role counterfactuals play in increasing an 
individual’s intentions toward behavioral change. Second, to further elucidate the inner and outer workings of 
Protective Behavioral Strategies for increasing positive health behaviors. Finally, to address the applicability of a 
counterfactual intervention on promoting intentions to use PBS.
Procedure
            All data will be collected on qualtrics.  Interested individuals will sign up using the online subject pool, 
SONA. Part 1 will be completed online, either in the lab or at their own personal computer.  After electronically 
confirming consent (using the provided informed consent sheet from TAMU Research Compliance and Biosafety), 
participants will complete demographics, followed by the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, a measure of 
perceived behavioral control, a measure of delay-discounting, the Daily Drinking Questionnaire-Revised, the Young 
Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire, Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS), the Personal Assessment of 
Responsible Drinker Identity Scale, Alcohol Use Contemplation/Intention measure. After these measures have been 
completed, participants will then be randomly assigned to one of four conditions. In one condition, participants will 
be asked to only write about a negative drinking event. In the second condition, participants will be asked to write 
about a negative drinking event in addition to recalling facts about the same event. In the third condition, 
participants will be asked to write about a negative drinking event and will then complete a counterfactual task. 
The task will ask the individuals to list three counterfactual strategies about the negative event, future situations 
these strategies could be used, as well as obstacles to using the strategies. The task will wrap up by asking these 
participants to indicate intention to use those strategies in the future. In the fourth condition, participants will be 
asked to complete the Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF). Participants in all conditions will complete 
perceptions of protective behavioral strategy norms questions, the Alcohol Use Contemplation/Intentions measure, 
a measure of perceived behavioral control as well as intentions to use protective behavioral strategies. 
           All follow up parts will be either online or in the lab, one week apart. Participants will indicate, for each day 
the previous week (Sunday, Saturday, Friday, Thursday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Monday), what they were doing, 
their general location, if they consumed alcohol that day, and the extent to which they experienced a list of 
situations. Following this, all participants will then indicate the extent that they used the list of PBS. For those who 
had been randomly assigned to the counterfactual condition in Part 1, they will complete additional measures: 
indicating the use of the counterfactual strategies that the participant came up with in Part 1 and their intention to 
use these counterfactual strategies over the next week. Finally, all participants will complete a measure of 
perceived behavioral control, rate intentions to use PBS in the next week, and answer the protective behavioral 
strategy norms questions. In follow up sessions 4 and 6, participants will also complete the Personal Assessment of 
Responsible Drinker Identity Scale and the delay discounting task. Email information will be completed at the end 
of each part. A page displaying additional resources will also be displayed.  All participants will finish the study by 
completing a debriefing task after the final follow up.
Procedures Involved:
In the space below, Describe and explain the study design. Provide a description of all research procedures 
being performed and when they are performed.
List each procedure or test and how often the procedure or test will occur for each participant.
Include a procedure schedule or table of events, if applicable - clinical studies.
Describe: All source records that will be used to collect data about subjects. This includes surveys, scripts, recordings 
and data collection forms; all test articles including dietary supplements, drugs and devices used in the research and the 
purpose of their use, and their regulatory (FDA) approval status.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Responses will be recorded through the survey website Qualtrics. Once data collection has concluded, responses 
will be downloaded onto an Excel sheet and stored on a password-protected computer.

See attached for exact questions in each measure. descriptions of each task are below.
Prescreen (through Psychology Subject Pool)
AUDIT
Baseline Part 1
Pre-manipulation measures:
Task 1: Demographics
Task 2: AUDIT
Task 3: DDQ-R
Task 4: Perceived Behavioral Control
Task 5: Delay Discounting Measure
Task 6: YAACQ
Task 7: PBS-20
Task 8: PARDI
Task 9: Alcohol Use contemplation/intention measure
Manipulation
Condition 1: Negative event only
Condition 2: Negative event and Fact listing
Condition 3: Negative event and counterfactual task
Condition 4: Personalized Normative Feedback
Post-manipulation measures
Task 9: Perceived behavioral control
Task 10: PBS Intentions
Task 11: Perceptions of Protective Behavioral Strategies questions
Task 12: Alcohol Use contemplation/intention measure
Task 13: Email
Task 14: Additional Resources
Follow Up Parts 2-6
Task 1:PBS-20 
Task 2: Daily indication of drinking and strategy use
Task 3: Counterfactual Behavior Use and Intentions
Task 4: Perceived behavioral control
Task 5: PBS Intentions
Task 6: Perceptions of Protective Behavioral Strategies questions
Task 7: PARDI [only follow up sessions 4 and 6]
Task 8: Delay Discounting Measure [only follow up sessions 4 and 6]
Task 9: Email
Task 10: Additional Resources
(End of Part 6): Debriefing
Demographics. A basic demographics questionnaire will collect data on participants’ age, gender, ethnicity, race, 
language spoken, and fluency in English.
Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT; Saunders, Aasland, Babor, De La Fuente, & Grant, 
1993).  Participants will complete the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test – Consumption Scale (AUDIT-C), 
which is a screener for alcohol consumption. Previous studies support the reliability and validity of the AUDIT-C as 
a measure of alcohol consumption among college students (DeMartini & Carey, 2012).
Daily Drinking Questionnaire-Revised (DDQ-R; adapted from Collins, Parks, & Marlatt, 1985) Assesses 
drinking habits and patterns among individuals averaged over the last 3 months.
Perceived Behavioral Control. (PBC; Cooke, Sniehotta, & Schuz, 2007; Ajzen & Sheikh, 2013) This 
measure is on a 7-point scale and is composed of six items: For me to avoid drinking alcohol is (difficult-easy); I 
am confident that, if I wanted to, I could avoid alcohol (definitely false-definitely true); How much control do you 
believe you have over avoiding alcohol (no control- complete control)? For me to drink less than 7(females)/10
(males) units in a single session in the next week would be (
).If I wanted to I could drink 
very difficult-very easy
less than 7(females)/10(males) units in a single session in the next week (
). How 
definitely false-definitely true
much control do you believe you have over drinking less than 7(females)/10(males) units in a single session in the 
next week? (
).
no control-complete control
Delay Discounting. Delay discounting will be assessed utilizing an adjusting-delay task developed by Bickel & 
Colleagues (see Epstein et al., 2014 for description). Participants are presented with items prompting a choice 
between receiving a certain amount of money ($1000) after a specified delay (i.e., 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 
months, 1 year, 5 years, or 25 years) or receiving a smaller amount of money immediately. The value of the 

immediate reward is adjusted across trials by using a decreasing-adjustment algorithm. This procedure determines 
the point at which participants are indifferent to the difference between the smaller, immediate reward and the 
larger, delayed reward. An area under the curve (AUC) procedure, as specified by Myerson, Green & 
Warusawitharana (2001) is used to characterize data from the discounting task. From the AUC, smaller values 
indicate greater monetary discounting by delay and greater impulsivity. K-values are also calculated. 
Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (YAACQ; Read, Kahler, Strong, & Colder, 2006). 
The YAACQ contains 48-items that assess alcohol-related consequences. 
Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS-20; (Treloar, Martens, & McCarthy, 2015) Protective Behavioral 
Strategies (PBS) are specific behaviors one can utilize to minimize the harmful consequences of alcohol 
consumption. There are three types of PBS: Serious Harm Reduction, Limiting/Stopping Drinking, and Manner of 
Drinking.
Personal Assessment of Responsible Drinker Identity Scale: A scale measure that assess how much 
being a responsible drinker is part of your identity
Perceptions of Protective Behavioral Strategies Questions: Questions about the percentage and 
frequency of use of protective behavioral strategies among college students.
Drinking Contemplation/Intention Measure: A measure assessing how much an individual is 
considering changing their drinking behavior
Negative Event Only (Condition 1). Participants will be asked to think of a specific example of the most 
(or one of the most) negative, unpleasant event with alcohol they have experienced; the event they choose must 
have occurred at least a year ago.  Or they will be asked to think of the most significant event that has occurred in 
the past year.  After thinking of a specific event, they will be given three minutes to write about their 
experience.  The writing prompt will ask that they express the event information in a few sentences.  This writing 
prompt will help participants place themselves back into that moment and access salient emotions and cognition 
about it. Similar negative event prompts have been used in counterfactual thinking studies (McFarland & Alvaro, 
2000; White & Lehman, 2005).
Negative Event + Factual Thinking Task (Condition 2). Participants in this group, the event plus the 
factual thinking task condition, will be told the following after completing the negative event writing task, “After 
disappointing and/or negative experiences like the one you described on the previous page, people often think 
about the details of the situation.  For example, when it happened, who was involved, and what happened right 
before or after the incident occurred. In the space below please provide examples of some of these details..”  There 
will be 10 blank boxes below the instructions and participants will be asked to provide some examples of details 
from their traumatic event.  They will be asked to only list as many as they can naturally recall without repeating 
any.  This procedure is derived from Kray and colleague’s (2010) study on counterfactual thinking and meaning in 
life.
Negative Event + Counterfactual Task (Condition 3). Participants in this group, the event plus the 
counterfactual task condition, will be told the following after completing the negative event writing task, “After 
disappointing and/or negative experiences like the one you described on the previous page, people sometimes 
cannot help thinking “what if…” or “if only…”  and imagining how things might have gone differently. That is, if only 
I had done something differently, the negative drinking situation could have been avoided or turned out better than 
it did. In the box below please identify things that, had they been different, would have improved the outcome of 
the negative drinking situation you described earlier and briefly describe how the outcome would have been 
better.”  There will be 3 blank boxes below the instructions and participants will be asked to list three 
counterfactuals about the event they just described.  They will be asked to only list as many as they can naturally 
recall without repeating any. After writing out their counterfactual thoughts, these participants will be asked to 
think of situations where these strategies could be used. Participants will also be asked to list out any obstacles 
that might prevent them from implementing these strategies. Lastly, participants in this condition will indicate their 
intention to use each strategy over the next week. 
Personalized Normative Feedback (Condition 4). Participants in this group, the personalized 
normative feedback, will be asked to rate the frequency and quantity of TAMU students that use PBS when drinking.
Perceived Behavioral Control. (PBC; Cooke, Sniehotta, & Schuz, 2007; Ajzen & Sheikh, 2013) This 
measure is on a 7-point scale and is composed of six items: For me to avoid drinking alcohol is (difficult-easy); I 
am confident that, if I wanted to, I could avoid alcohol (definitely false-definitely true); How much control do you 
believe you have over avoiding alcohol (no control- complete control)? For me to drink less than 7(females)/10
(males) units in a single session in the next week would be (
).If I wanted to I could drink 
very difficult-very easy
less than 7(females)/10(males) units in a single session in the next week (
). How 
definitely false-definitely true
much control do you believe you have over drinking less than 7(females)/10(males) units in a single session in the 
next week? (
).
no control-complete control

Protective Behavioral Strategies Intentions (adapted from Treloar, Martens, & McCarthy, 2015). 
Intentions to use protective behavioral strategies was adapted from the Protective Behavioral Strategies Scale -20. 
All participants will be asked how much they intend to use PBS in the next week when/if they drink, for each PBS 
subtype. Responses fall on a 6-point Likert-type scale of Never (1), Rarely (2), Occasionally (3), Sometimes (4), 
Usually (5), Always (6), and Do not wish to respond.
Email
Please enter your TAMU email (example@tamu.edu) so we can contact you for future follow phases of the 
study if you qualify. Remember, everything you reported here is completely confidential. (free text)
Additional Resources
If you need additional assistance for any distress experienced due to the questions in the study you just 
participated in, please see the following links: https://wfsc.tamu.edu/additional-info/student-support-resources/
Counseling and Psychological Services: caps.tamu.edu (979)845-4427
Helpline (Crisis Hotline after hours or after 5 p.m.): caps.tamu.edu (979)845-2700
Parts 2-6
PBS-20: Participants will be asked to indicate for each day of the previous week how often they used the three 
types of PBS (Serious harm reduction, limiting/stopping, and manner of drinking). Participants will also be asked to 
indicate how effective they believe each type of strategy is.
Weekly Indication of Drinking and Strategy Use: During each follow up, participants will indicate, for each day 
the previous week (Sunday, Saturday, Friday, Thursday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Monday)), what they were doing, 
their general location, and if they consumed alcohol that day.
Counterfactual Behavior Use and Intentions: Participants in the counterfactual condition will reread their 
counterfactuals that they wrote in the baseline session. They will answer questions about whether they did those 
behaviors in the past week and their intentions to use those behaviors in the next week.
Perceived Behavioral Control. (PBC; Cooke, Sniehotta, & Schuz, 2007; Ajzen & Sheikh, 2013) This measure is 
on a 7-point scale and is composed of six items: For me to avoid drinking alcohol is (difficult-easy); I am confident 
that, if I wanted to, I could avoid alcohol (definitely false-definitely true); How much control do you believe you 
have over avoiding alcohol (no control- complete control)? For me to drink less than 7(females)/10(males) units in 
a single session in the next week would be (
).If I wanted to I could drink less than 7
very difficult-very easy
(females)/10(males) units in a single session in the next week (
). How much control 
definitely false-definitely true
do you believe you have over drinking less than 7(females)/10(males) units in a single session in the next week? (n
).
o control-complete control
Intentions: (adapted from Treloar, Martens, & McCarthy, 2015). Intentions to use protective behavioral strategies 
was adapted from the Protective Behavioral Strategies Scale -20. All participants will be asked how much they 
intend to use PBS in the next week when/if they drink, for each PBS subtype. Responses fall on a 6-point Likert-
type scale of Never (1), Rarely (2), Occasionally (3), Sometimes (4), Usually (5), Always (6), and Do not wish to 
respond.
Personal Assessment of Responsible Drinker Identity Scale [follow up 4 and 6 only]: A scale measure that 
assess how much being a responsible drinker is part of your identity
: Questions about the percentage and frequency of 
Perceptions of Protective Behavioral Strategies Questions
use of protective behavioral strategies among college students.
Delay Discounting [follow up 4 and 6 only]. Delay discounting will be assessed utilizing an adjusting-delay task 
developed by Bickel & Colleagues (see Epstein et al., 2014 for description). Participants are presented with items 
prompting a choice between receiving a certain amount of money ($1000) after a specified delay (i.e., 1 day, 1 
week, 1 month, 3 months, 1 year, 5 years, or 25 years) or receiving a smaller amount of money immediately. The 
value of the immediate reward is adjusted across trials by using a decreasing-adjustment algorithm. This procedure 
determines the point at which participants are indifferent to the difference between the smaller, immediate reward 
and the larger, delayed reward. An area under the curve (AUC) procedure, as specified by Myerson, Green & 
Warusawitharana (2001) is used to characterize data from the discounting task. From the AUC, smaller values 
indicate greater monetary discounting by delay and greater impulsivity. K-values are also calculated.
Email

Please enter your TAMU email (example@tamu.edu) so we can contact you for future follow phases of the study if 
you qualify. Remember, everything you reported here is completely confidential. (free text)
Additional Resources
If you need additional assistance for any distress experienced due to the questions in the study you just 
participated in, please see the following links: https://wfsc.tamu.edu/additional-info/student-support-resources/
Counseling and Psychological Services: caps.tamu.edu (979)845-4427
Helpline (Crisis Hotline after hours or after 5 p.m.): caps.tamu.edu (979)845-2700
Procedure
 All data will be collected on qualtrics. Interested individuals will sign up using the online subject pool, SONA. Part 1 
will be completed online, either in the lab or at their own personal computer. After electronically confirming consent 
(using the provided informed consent sheet from TAMU Research Compliance and Biosafety), participants will 
complete demographics, followed by the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, a measure of perceived 
behavioral control, a measure of delay-discounting, the Daily Drinking Questionnaire-Revised, the Young Adult 
Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire, Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS), the Personal Assessment of 
Responsible Drinker Identity Scale, Alcohol Use Contemplation/Intention measure. After these measures have been 
completed, participants will then be randomly assigned to one of four conditions. In one condition, participants will 
be asked to only write about a negative drinking event. In the second condition, participants will be asked to write 
about a negative drinking event in addition to recalling facts about the same event. In the third condition, 
participants will be asked to write about a negative drinking event and will then complete a counterfactual task. 
The task will ask the individuals to list three counterfactual strategies about the negative event, future situations 
these strategies could be used, as well as obstacles to using the strategies. The task will wrap up by asking these 
participants to indicate intention to use those strategies in the future. In the fourth condition, participants will be 
asked to complete the Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF). Participants in all conditions will complete 
perceptions of protective behavioral strategy norms questions, the Alcohol Use Contemplation/Intentions measure, 
a measure of perceived behavioral control as well as intentions to use protective behavioral strategies.
All follow up parts will be either online or in the lab, one week apart. Participants will indicate, for each day the 
previous week (Sunday, Saturday, Friday, Thursday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Monday), what they were doing, their 
general location, if they consumed alcohol that day, and the extent to which they experienced a list of situations. 
Following this, all participants will then indicate the extent that they used the list of PBS. For those who had been 
randomly assigned to the counterfactual condition in Part 1, they will complete additional measures: indicating the 
use of the counterfactual strategies that the participant came up with in Part 1 and their intention to use these 
counterfactual strategies over the next week. Finally, all participants will complete a measure of perceived 
behavioral control, rate intentions to use PBS in the next week, and answer the protective behavioral strategy 
norms questions. In follow up sessions 4 and 6, participants will also complete the Personal Assessment of 
Responsible Drinker Identity Scale and the delay discounting task. Email information will be completed at the end 
of each part. A page displaying additional resources will also be displayed. All participants will finish the study by 
completing a debriefing task after the final follow up.
Drugs
Devices
Supplements
Significance:
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
The present research could have a variety of implications for clinical psychology research, treatment regimens for 
alcohol, and college alcohol campaigns.  Since counterfactual thinking is a naturally occurring and automatic 
reaction to negative events, they are likely to influence individuals who have had a negative experience while 
drinking.  However, counterfactuals can produce positive outcomes, such as meaning-making and increased 
intentions, as well as negative outcomes, such as rumination and regret.  Investigating how these naturally 
occuring thoughts might be used to aid in behavioral strategies towards alcohol use, and decision-making more 
broadly, could help to inform plans to curb young adult binge drinking.  
 
Subjects, enrollment, recruitment, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and informed consent:

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Participants
            Participants will be recruited via the Texas A&M University online research subject pool (SONA).  To be 
included in the study procedures and subsequent data analyses, participants must be 18 or older and complete all 
parts. There are no exclusion criteria for participation in the baseline study (part 1).  However, participants who do 
not follow the instructions for the specific writing task will be unable to sign-up for the remaining follow up sessions 
(Parts 2-6) and will be excluded from the final data analyses. For Part 1, they will be provided with a link to the 
qualtrics survey (if completing online) or will sign up via SONA for an in-person lab session.  For Parts 2-5, 
participants will be able to sign up after successfully completing the prior session; however, if they do not 
successfully complete the writing prompt requirements outlined in Part 1, then they will be unable to continue on to 
the remaining study sessions (parts 2-6). If this is the case, then the researchers involved in this study will contact 
participants to let them know their remaining follow-up sessions will be canceled, but will still receive credit for 
what they have completed.
Informed Consent
Participants will be presented with the informed consent form on Qualtrics that will provide an overview of what the 
study is about, who to contact if any questions arise, and other information deemed necessary to give complete 
informed consent (see attached form). Participants will be given an option on their computer screen to click "I 
agree" or "I disagree" to participate in the study. If they agree, then they will continue on and be reminded they 
are free to discontinue at any time. If they disagree, then they will taken to an exit screen and prompted to close 
the browser. Participants will be given as much time as they need to fully read the form as well as email the 
researchers any questions.
Will audio recordings be collected?
  Yes   
  No
Will visual images be collected?
  Yes   
  No
If visual images will be collected, are they full, facial identifiable images?
  Yes   
  No
8.2  Locations
List locations or facilities where the research will be conducted (e.g. building name, physical address).
Research will be conducted online via a survey website (i.e. Qualtrics). Participants will either complete the 
online survey in the lab (Psychology Department) or, for those who are completing the study remotely, 
they will be given link after signing up, and can complete it wherever they feel comfortable completing the 
study.
Are any of the locations listed above non-Texas A&M facilities?
 Yes   
 No
What is the role of each location?
Data collection site (lab computer or personal computer/other device participant has access to at their 
location).
Is the PI of this IRB study application the lead investigator of a multicenter study (i.e. the study is taking 
place at multiple institutions that are obtaining their own IRB approval and you are coordinating and 
overseeing the research)?

  Yes   
  No
Has IRB approval been sought at another institution?
  Yes   
  No
Please submit the Site Authorization letter(s) with this application as a study document or indicate when 
site authorization will be obtained. Guidance is available at http://rcb.tamu.edu/humansubjects
/resources/site-authorization-letter
8.3  Other Committee Approvals
Select all that apply.
None
Animal Use
Biohazards
Chemical
Radiation
Other
If any committee approvals apply, please provide the permit number and approval date.
9.0  
Study Population
9.1  Number of Participants
Approximately how many subjects do you plan to enroll?
 
1500
Provide the rationale for the number of subjects requested (for example, power analysis, sponsor 
requirements, etc.).
 
To have adequate statistical power to compare across the three conditions, assuming that not all 
participants will qualify after the baseline study and there will be some participant attrition across the 
follow up sessions.
Will human subjects be used from the Qatar population?
  Yes   
  No
* If Yes, then approval by an IRB in Qatar may also be required.
 
Will human subjects be used from another international population?
  Yes   
  No
*If Yes, then approval by an international review board or government may also be required.
Will human subjects be used from a Native American population?
  Yes   
  No
*If Yes, then approval by a tribal IRB(s) may also be required.

If Yes for research in Qatar, in another country, or with Native Americans, provide justification for that 
research being conducted in that particular community.
9.2  
 
Provide the age groups being enrolled into this study (Note the consent documents required for each age group listed in parentheses):  
0-6 (parental consent only, Pediatric Assessment required for Clinical Trials)
7-11 (child’s assent plus parental permission, Pediatric Assessment required for Clinical Trials)
12-17 (consent plus parental permission, Pediatric Assessment required for Clinical Trials)
18+ (consent only)
Enter the specific age range for study population (if overlap or specific within a category):
 
9.3  Indicate the gender of participants being enrolled into this study: 
Male
Female
Both male and female
9.4  Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria
What are the inclusion and exclusion criteria for study participation?
 
The only inclusion criterion for participation is the minimum age requirement (18 years old). 
There are no exclusion criteria for participation in the baseline study (part 1).  However, participants who 
do not follow the instructions for the specific writing task will be unable to sign-up for the remaining follow 
up sessions (Parts 2-6) and will be excluded the final data analyses. For Part 1, they will be provided with 
a link to the qualtrics survey.  For Parts 2-5, participants will be able to sign up after successfully 
completing the prior session; however, if they do not successfully complete the writing prompt 
requirements outlined in Part 1, then they will be unable to continue on to the remaining study sessions 
(parts 2-6). If this is the case, then the researchers involved in this study will contact participants to let 
them know their remaining follow-up sessions will be canceled, but will still receive credit for what they 
have completed.
Do the exclusion criteria exclude specific populations or individuals based on gender, culture, language, 
economics, race, or ethnicity?
  Yes   
  No
If Yes, then justify each exclusion:
 
9.5  Describe the setting where the informed consent process will take place (e.g. classroom, clinic, laboratory, office, park, personal 
 
computer, etc.).  
If a waiver of documentation of informed consent is requested, then describe how participants will review 
the information sheet.
Before beginning Part 1 of the study, Qualtrics will present participants with the online informed consent. 
Participants who check "I agree" to indicate that they consent to their participation in the study will be 
allowed to participate in the study and be asked to provide their TAMU email. Before beginning each 
follow up part (Parts 2-6), participants will see the same informed consent form on Qualtrics once again 
and check "I agree" once again before starting the follow up sessions and be asked to provide their TAMU 
email once again. 
9.6  Experience of Subjects

Describe the experience of subjects while participating in this research. (Please describe what the 
participant will experience from the time of learning of the study through completion.)
Participants (undergraduate students at TAMU who need to participate in research for class credit) will 
sign up to participate in the study by using the SONA subject participation pool.  After signing up for Part 
1, online participants will receive a link to a Qualtrics survey.  Those who are completing the study in lab 
will participate on the day they signed up for. After reading information about the study and consenting 
electronically by clicking "I agree", participants will report their TAMU email and then continue on to 
complete the Part 1 questionnaires.  This should take 30 minutes of their time and they will receive 1 
credit toward their class research requirement for completing Part 1.  
After completing Part 1, participants will be allowed to participate in the follow up sessions (parts 2-6) if 
they correctly and completely fulfilled the writing task requirements. Each follow up session will be 
completed through Qualtrics and should not exceed 30 minutes for each follow up session. Each follow up 
session will take place one week after the previous session. A summary of this is below:
 
Part 1: Baseline 
Part 2: First follow up (One week after baseline)
Part 3: Second follow up (One week after Part 2)
Part 4: Third follow up (One week after Part 3)
Part 5: Fourth follow up (One week after Part 4)
Part 6: Fifth follow up (One week after Part 5)
Note: If there is not enough time in the semester, some participants may not complete all follow-ups; 
they will complete the number of sessions and follow ups described in their consent forms
How long will the participants be engaged in the research (length of time, e.g., 15 minutes, 45 minutes 
on Day 1, 60 minutes on Day 2, etc.)?
 
30 minutes for Part 1 (week 1)
30 minutes for Part 2 (week 2)
30 minutes for Part 3 (week 3)
30 minutes for Part 4 (week 4)
30 minutes for Part 5 (week 5)
30 minutes for Part 6 (week 6)
10.0  
Privacy and Confidentiality
 
10.1  
 
How will the identities of subjects be protected in all research records? The information collected/analyzed is:  
Note: Data that are coded, where the key to the code is accessible to researchers, are considered 
confidential information and subject to privacy regulations. 
Anonymous: The identity of the participant cannot readily be determined by the investigator AND the 
identity of the participant is not connected to information gathered.
Confidential: Research participants can be identified; however, information gathered will be protected.
Neither: Research participants can be identified, and information gathered may be connected to the 
participant.
Summarize procedures to protect the confidentiality and anonymity of participants (e.g., replies coded, 
etc.).
 
Pre-screen data will be collected as part of the larger Psychology Subject Pool pre-screen survey 
conducted by the department and managed by the Psychology Subject Pool Coordinator. The pre-screen 
survey is distributed via the SONA system and participants complete the pre-screen survey on their own 
time and on their own device, wherever they are comfortable. All data is maintained in the SONA system 
(which can only be accessed by the Psychology Subject Pool Coordinator). At the completion of the pre-

screen period, the Subject Pool Coordinator will give PI access to the pre-screen results for the AUDIT 
questions. The PI will store the pre-screen data on the Liberal Arts IT computer servers (see description 
below). 
Participants data will initially be saved using their TAMU email as identification codes, which will allow us 
to connect data from Part 1 of the study to data from Parts 2-6 of the study.  However, for extra safety 
precautions, once the data set has been collected and assembled, we will delete participant emails and 
replace them with randomized participant ID numbers.  
All data (pre-screen and study data) is housed on Liberal Arts IT computer servers at Texas A&M 
University. These servers are physically protected by a 24/7 armed security guard and multiple physical 
barriers that require card/fingerprint/keys to pass through. Physical access is limited to the Liberal Arts 
Server team members and is reviewed every year. To access the share requires a campus IP address or 
VPN access, and also membership in the active directory group that is allowed access to that particular 
folder. Only researchers involved with this study will have access to the particular IT server folder where 
data will be stored.
What are the plans for retention and/or destruction of linkages between study data and personal 
identifying information?  (Specify when and how personal identifying information will be destroyed.)
 
TAMU emails will be deleted and changed to randomized participant ID numbers once the study data has 
been collected and compiled.  No identifying information, including names, will be collected as the online 
information sheet system only requires participants check "I agree" to consent to their participation.
If these linkages will not be destroyed, explain how you will maintain confidentiality of the personally 
identifying information.
 
If personally identifying information will not be kept confidential, then justify and explain the informed 
consent process for sharing this information.
 
Will a Certificate of Confidentiality (through DHHS or another Federal agency) be utilized?
https://humansubjects.nih.gov/coc/index
  Yes   
  No
11.0  
Potentially Sensitive Subject Matter and Procedures
11.1  Will this type of information be collected?
 Yes   
 No
11.2  Select all that describe the information.
No sensitive matters
Abortion
Alcohol
Body composition
Criminal activity
Depression
HIV/AIDS
Learning disability
List of current medications
Medical/dental problems
Medical history
Potential child abuse/neglect
Psychology/psychiatry
Sexual activity

Suicide
Unethical behavior
Other
If other, please specify:
If Medical History or Mental Health History information will be collected, please describe:
11.3  Deception
Will deception be used as part of the study?
  Yes   
  No
If Yes, please describe the deception.
Please describe the debriefing procedures to be used.
Debriefing procedures will occur after Part 6 of the study.  After the final survey, Qualtrics will show 
participants a debriefing sheet that will include additional information pertaining to the aims and 
implications of the study.  We will also provide a list of resources (which will appear on Qualtrics), both on 
and off TAMU's College Station campus, that are available to students should they need extra support.
Provide justification for the deception.
12.0  
Risks and Benefits
12.1  Regulatory definition of minimal risk is that the probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the research are not 
greater in and of themselves than those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of routine physical or 
psychological examinations or tests (45 CFR 46.102(h)(i)).
Identify the types of risk associated with participation in the study:
Physical
Privacy
Confidentiality
Psychological/emotional
Social
Legal
Other
If Other, please describe the risks:
If participants are under the legal drinking age or disclose illegal activities while under the influence of 
alcohol, there might be additional risk.
Describe the potential risks or discomforts to participants. Include justification of the known risks, which 
were selected above.
A mild stress reaction may be experienced by the part of the study that involves writing about a negative 
alcohol event but this should be comparable to disclosing any negative event during the course of a day. 
Furthermore, in the consent form, participants will be told that they will be asked to write about a 
negative alcohol event and be reminded that they are free to discontinue their participants at any 
time.  In some individuals, this stress reaction may be greater and we will provide resources for all 
participants, in case they need extra support after discussing their negative alcohol event.  Questionnaires 
may also cause minimal amounts of distress, since some encourage participants to think about, and thus 
be in-tune with their levels of distress. 
Describe the approaches you will take to minimize these risks and/or to minimize their impact.

All participants will be provided with resources that they can utilize should they feel distressed by the 
study. Instructions will be given to participants before beginning the writing task to leave out specific 
locations, names, and other personally identifiable information. Finally, the writing about a negative event 
involving alcohol will be emphasized in the consent forms and participants who do not feel comfortable 
writing about this will be asked not to participate. They will also be asked to take the study in a place they 
feel is private and comfortable for them to discuss sensitive topics, such as alcohol use and 
consumption.  In addition, the consent form will remind participants that they are free to discontinue their 
participation in the study at any time, should they feel uncomfortable or distressed.
What alternatives are available to subjects outside the research (i.e., what is the standard of care, is the 
research intervention available without participating)?
Students are provided with alternative assignments that can be completed in lieu of research participation 
by their professors.  Furthermore, participants may choose any of the other studies available on the TAMU 
SONA system as alternatives to participating in our study. 
12.2  What are the potential benefits of this study to individual participants? (This does not include payments, compensation, or incentives.)
Primary benefits to participating in this study include exposure to Protective Behavioral Strategies and, for 
those in the counterfactual condition, a mental tool to help implement these strategies throughout one's 
everyday life.  Some secondary benefits may be experienced:  Participation in the study gives participants 
a first-hand look at research. This "laboratory" experience may help participants obtain a better 
understanding of psychology research that they may be interested in pursuing in the future, as these are 
all students currently taking a psychology course at TAMU. 
12.3  What are the potential benefits of this study to the population or society?
The present study aims to increase psychology's understanding of the social-cognitive mechanisms 
(specifically, counterfactual thinking) that foster intention formation and promotion.  By understanding the 
most salubrious way to think about negative alcohol events, the present study could influence alcohol-use 
strategies for treating binge-drinking in college students or other health-related issues.  Furthermore, we 
hope to increase psychology's understanding of the effect of counterfactual thinking on other research 
areas (such as, perceived behavioral control) correlated with behavioral change.
13.0  
Personally Identifiable Information
13.1  
 
Indicate which of the following personally identifiable information (PII) will be accessed or recorded in association with this study:
None
Name
Web addresses (URLs)
Full Face Photographic Image
Internet IP Address
Health Plan Beneficiary Number
Certificate/ License Number
Any Other Unique Identifier or Combination
Geographic Information (including city and ZIP)
Vehicle Identification Number and Serial Numbers Including License Plate Number
Telephone Number
Email address
Fax number
Social Security Number
Medical Record Number
Account Number
Medical Device Identifiers
Biometric Identifiers
Dates directly related to an individual (including birth, death, admission, discharge, date of procedure)
Educational Records
Will any PII in your possession be coded?

  Yes   
  No
Will you have the code in your possession?
  Yes   
  No
Is this personally identifiable information considered Protected Health Information (PHI)? (PHI is any of 
the 18 identifiers listed above collected by or received by a covered entity, which includes a healthcare 
provider, healthcare clearing house, or as defined in the Univeristy SAP 16.99.99.M0.01.)
  Yes   
  No
*If Yes, additional requirements may be involved such as HIPAA authorization, Waiver of 
Authorization, or Data Use Agreement, or other agreements.
13.2  
 
Explain why you need to obtain personally identifiable information (list all of the data fields to be collected):  
In order to connect the participants' data from Parts 1-6, we will need some identifier to be used during 
the data collection process. By using the participants TAMU email, this allows us to connect all parts as 
well as contact participants on follow-up sessions should they not qualify (i.e., did not follow writing 
prompt instructions). However, as soon as our study's data collection is complete and Parts 1-6 data are 
matched in one compete data set, participants' TAMU emails will be changed to randomized Participant ID 
numbers and will be deleted.  Thus, once the data collection is complete, there will be no personal 
identifying information housed alongside our data.
13.3  Does this study involve use of Protected Health Information (PHI) being received from a Covered Entity (e.g. healthcare provider, 
healthcare clearing house, health plan)?
  Yes   
  No
Will the provider be a collaborator on this study who will maintain the code to the PHI in their possession?
  Yes   
  No
If yes, identify the covered entity and provide the data use agreement or business associate agreement.
Version
Title
Category
Expiration 
Date
Document 
Outcome
Checked Out
View 
Document
No Document(s) have been attached to this form.
Covered Entity:
Does this study involve collection of PHI from participants or receipt of PHI from a covered entity?
  Yes   
  No
Does this study involve distribution of PHI to a Covered Entity (e.g. healthcare provider, healthcare 
clearing house, health plan)?
  Yes   
  No
If Yes to any of these three previous questions, PHI authorization or a waiver of PHI authorization is 
required. Is a waiver of PHI authorization being requested? For more information, see the additional 
information online: http://rcb.tamu.edu/humansubjects/resources/consentinfo
  Yes   
  No
Please attach the HIPAA Authorization as needed to the application.
Version
Title
Category
Expiration 
Date
Document 
Outcome
Checked Out
View 
Document
No Document(s) have been attached to this form.

13.4  Will the PHI used in this study be stored with encryption?
  Yes   
  No
How is PHI  transmitted electronically being protected?
How is PHI data protected?
Who has access to PHI?
14.0  
Retrospective Details (Please note: This refers to the analysis of data, documents, records, or 
specimens that were existing as of the date of the IRB application.)
14.1  Will existing data or documents be used (e.g., patient records/charts, samples/specimens, public records, surveys, evaluation tools, etc.)?
 
NOTE:  If you answer NO to this question, please skip the remaining questions in this section.  
  Yes   
  No
If Yes, then:
Describe the data or documents that will be used.
What is the date range of the original data collection?
How will the existing data be obtained? Additional information may be required to establish authority to 
use the data previously collected.
14.2  
 
Will your research be limited to 
 existing data or specimens?
only
NOTE:  If data/specimens will be collected after submission of this 
application, then the answer here is "No". If you answered NO to this question and the main question above, please skip the remaining 
 
questions in this section.  
  Yes   
  No
14.3  Will existing specimens be used (e.g., human blood, tissue, saliva, etc.)?      
  Yes   
  No
If Yes, then describe the specimens that will be used and how they will be obtained.
Indicate the number of specimens.
How will the specimens be obtained?
Provide the documentation from the holder of the samples that gives you permission to use the samples 
for research purposes. If the samples were collected for research purposes, provide a copy of the 
approved informed consent document used to obtain the samples.
 
 
14.4  Retrospective Details – Publicly Available
Is the source of the data for your research accessible by the general public?

  Yes   
  No
Provide the link if applicable.
14.5  Retrospective Details – Identity
Will it be possible to determine a subject’s identity directly or indirectly through a link (e.g., Medical 
Record Number (MRN), participant code, IP address, email)?
  Yes   
  No
14.6  Retrospective Details – Waiver of Informed Consent
Is it impractical to obtain informed consent from the subjects?
  Yes   
  No
If Yes, then please complete the Waiver of Informed Consent information in the next section.
14.7  Retrospective Details - Waiver of Document of Informed Consent
Is it possible to obtain informed consent, AND the only link between the data and the human subject 
would be the signed informed consent document?
  Yes   
  No
15.0  
Costs and Compensation
15.1  
 
What are the costs to participants (monetary, time, expense, etc.)? Identify the costs and specify the amount.  
The only cost to participants is the amount of time required to complete the study.  All parts of the study 
will be completed online (using Qualtrics survey). Each part can be completed in about 30 minutes time.
15.2  Will participants receive any compensation for participation in the study? Note:  For payments to participants, please see University 
SAP Payment of Survey and Research Participants 21.01.99.M0.03. (
)
http://rules-saps.tamu.edu/PDFs/21.01.99.M0.03.pdf
 Yes   
 No
If Yes, then identify the amount of compensation, method of payment, payment schedule, and 
justification. If more than a single session with the participant, then the schedule should include 
incremental payments.
 
Participants will receive compensation in the form of research credits for their psychology 
course.  Participants will receive 1 credit of research participation after Part 1 (regardless of whether they 
continue on to Part 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6).  Participants will receive additional credits of research participation 
credit after each additional follow-up they complete (1 credit for each part).  This means that participants 
who complete Parts 1-6 will receive a total of 6 credits.  They will receive 1 credit after they complete Part 
1 and those who complete Part 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 will receive the additional 6 credits.  For those waves 
conducted later in the semester, they will receive the number of credits based on the number of sessions 
they complete (4 weeks = 4 credits; 5 weeks = 5 creidts). These credits will be applied using the TAMU 
SONA online participation system. 
15.3  In case of injury, explain who will pay for the treatment. (If not applicable, then note “N/A.”) Is there a contract in place - is subject 
 
injury covered by an outside entity?  
N/A

15.4  
What extra costs will be incurred by third-party payers because of subjects’ participation?
No costs will be incurred by third-party payers because of subjects' participation.
16.0  
Recruitment
16.1  
 
How will potential subjects be identified? (How do you know who to contact to participate in the study?)  
Potential subjects will be recruited by the TAMU online participation pool system, SONA.  Participants will 
sign up for Part 1 and either complete part 1 in the lab or receive a link to the qualtrics survey 
online.  Once they complete Part 1, they will be allowed to participate in Part 2 a week later, which will 
take place either in the lab or online as well. After completing Part 3, participants will then be allowed to 
complete Part 4 one week later. After completing Part 4 participants will be allowed to complete part 5 
one week later. Finally, after completing part 5, participants will then be allowed to continue on to part 6. 
Each study part will be one week apart.
16.2  Bulkmail
Will Texas A&M University bulkmail be used for recruitment?
  Yes   
  No
Please note that bulkmail recruitment applies to main campus, Health Science Center (HSC), 
Law School, and Galveston only. Recruitment to the Qatar campus may be require approval by 
an IRB in Qatar.
16.3  
 
How will potential subjects be recruited? Select all that apply:  
Direct contact in a medical setting
Direct contact in a non-medical setting
Newspaper ad
Television
Radio
Website
Social/professional networking site
Posted notice(s)
Letter
Telephone solicitation
Email
Recruiting Pool (See next question)
Other (specify):
If you selected Recruitment Pools option above, please identify the groups below.
Economics
Marketing
Motor Behavior
Motor Neuroscience
Psychology
Sociology
TTI
* Skip to the next section if using a Recruitment Pool.

16.4  
 
How will initial contact be made with potential participants?  
All contact regarding study participation will take place via the SONA recruitment pool.  Participants will 
choose to sign up for the study after viewing the options for all studies available for research participation 
credit on SONA.  For Part 1, they will be provided with a link to the qualtrics survey.  For Parts 2-6, 
participants will be able to sign up after successfully completing the prior session; however, if they do not 
successfully complete the writing prompt requirements outlined in Part 1, then they will be unable to 
continue on to the reminaing study sessions (parts 2-6). If this is the case, then the researchers involved 
in this study will contact participants to let them know their remaining follow-up sessions will be canceled, 
but will still receive credit for what they have completed.
16.5  
 
How will the researchers protect subject privacy 
?
during the recruitment process  
Researchers will protect subject identity during recruitment by adhering to the password protected 
university SONA system. SONA will grant automatic credit after completion of each part of the study, and 
any incompletes will be manually granted by the associated researchers after the timeframe for the study 
is up. This information is protected by SONA and only PIs and research assistants will be able to access 
information about participation in this study.
16.6  
 
Who will do the recruiting?  
SONA systems
16.7  Will recruiting be conducted off Texas A&M University property?
  Yes   
  No
If Yes, describe (Site Authorization(s) may be required.)
16.8  Will screening or recruiting be from or through the patient base of a healthcare provider?
  Yes   
  No
16.9  Do you have any relationship other than as an investigator with participants (e.g. doctor-patient, teacher-student, counselor-student, 
family member, etc.)?
  Yes   
  No
If Yes, then specify the relationship.
 
Describe how you will avoid any type of coercion.
By using the SONA system we allow participants to choose from a wide variety of studies and therefore 
avoid coercion. 
16.10  If the subject is a student who is participating  in the research for course credit, then how will you ensure that the subject was not 
 
coerced into participating?  
Psychology professors are required to provide additional options for meeting research participation 
credit.  Furthermore our consent/information forms, which are presented to the subjects before each 
study session, remind subjects that their participanton is entirely voluntary and they are free to withdraw 
at any time.
16.11  If this study meets a requirement for course research credit, then how is this study suited to the course for which research credit is 
required?

Since this is a psychological study, students in a psychology course who are receiving course credit for the 
study will also get the experience of participating in an experiment that hopes to discover more about 
health psychology, cognitive psychology, and social psychology (all topics that appear in an introduction 
to psychology course and relate to more advanced psychology courses, such as abnormal or clinical 
psychology).
16.12  What alternatives to the participation in the research without negative consequences will you allow (e.g., not to participate, alternative 
 
assignment)?  
Participants are welcome to receive research credit by choosing other studies besides ours.  They are also 
given the option of participating in another assignment in which they can write about psychological 
research instead of participate themselves.
16.13  Will there be any penalties or other disadvantages for those declining to participate?   
  Yes   
  No
16.14  Will any pre-screening surveys or questions be used?
 Yes   
 No
If Yes, then please describe and include in Other Study Documents.
 
The AUDIT will be used as part of a pre-screening procedure, to increase the rates of alcohol users who 
complete the study. This measure is already included in the baseline session (and study measures). It is 
separately included now as a prescreen materials document. 
17.0  
Data Management
 
17.1  
 
General Information  
STANDARD ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE
15.99.03.M1.03 The Responsible Stewardship of Research Data
http://rules-saps.tamu.edu/PDFs/15.99.03.M1.03.pdf
 
 Do you agree to adhere to the SAP with your data?
 Yes   
 No
Where will the data be stored? Indicate building and room number on TAMU property.
The data will be collected using the password-secured survey program, Qualtrics. Once data has been 
collected, it will be saved on TAMU Liberal Arts IT computer server folders associated with the Social-
Cognition lab, which are located in the Psychology Building, room 347A. These folders are password 
protected. The room is also locked and requires a key to enter the office space.
How long will the data be stored? (Note: This time period should be a minimum of 3 years post 
completion of the research and perhaps longer, depending on sponsor requirements.)
 
4 years
If you are storing or transmitting collected data, is the storage and transmission of the data encrypted?
 Yes   
 No

Please note that PHI must be stored and transmitted with encryption.
Who will have access to the data?
 
PI and researchers
17.2  Data Safety Monitoring Plan
  Yes   
  No
If so, then:
            How is it managed?
 
With what frequency is data reviewed for this project?
How often does the DSMB meet?
What is the frequency of reports from the DSMB?
Describe any planned interim analysis.
Provide names, affiliations, and qualifications of members.
 
18.0  
Informed Consent
18.1  
 
Select all that apply and attach to the application:  
For templates and guidance regarding informed consent, see https://rcb.tamu.edu/humans/toolkit
/templates/templates
Informed Consent Document (signed consent, typically needed in Texas for research involving adults)
Parent Informed Consent Document
Parent Permission Form
Assent Form (typically needed in Texas for research involving children under 18)
Recruitment Script (verbal)
Recruitment Email
Information Sheet (also select Waiver of Documentation of Informed Consent)
Waiver of Informed Consent
Waiver of Documentation of Informed Consent
Other
If other, please specify:
18.2  Please provide the readability statistics for each informed consent document in terms of the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. In general, 
informed consent document for adults should be on an 8th grade level.
https://rcb.tamu.edu/humans/resources/tips-for-writing-consent-forms
The Information sheet was deemed to be about a 9.0 grade reading level using the Flesch-Kincaid system.
18.3  Please describe the informed consent process. Include how participants will be adequately informed of what they will be asked to do in 
the study as well as how they will be protected. Include how the forms selected above will be used in the process including that the 
particpants will have sufficient time to review any information provided to them.
If a waiver of documentation of informed consent is requested, then the information sheet use must be 
described here.
After clicking on the Qualtrics link from SONA, participants will be presented with the informed consent 
form that will provide an overview of what the study is about, who to contact if any questions arise, and 
other information deemed necessary to give complete informed consent (see attached form). Participants 

will be given an option on their computer screen to click "I agree" or "I disagree" to participate in the 
study. If they agree, then they will continue on and be reminded they are free to discontinue at any time. 
If they disagree, then they will taken to an exit screen and prompted to close the browser. Participants 
will be given as much time as they need to fully read the form as well as email the researchers any 
questions.
18.4  
 
Where will the informed consent process take place (e.g. building name, physical address)?  
The informed consent form that participants will either agree to or decline will be housed on the Qualtrics 
survey program along with other study materials and measures.  For all study sessions (Parts 1-6), which 
are online and can be completed wherever participants see fit, participants will read the consent form 
wherever they decide to begin the study.  
Where will the informed consent documents be physically stored?
See attached consent document (Stored electronically using Qualtrics online survey system that only 
researchers have the password to).
Who will have access to the Informed Consent documents?
Only the researchers and principal/co-principal investigators.
18.5  For studies involving research on children, will participants who reach age of majority be consented?
  Yes   
  No
18.6  Have the PI, Co-I(s), and any persons interacting with study subjects completed CITI training?
 Yes   
 No
If No is selected, have the PI, Co-I(s), and any persons interacting with study subjects completed 
alternative human subjects training? If so, please provide a description and copy of the alternative 
training.
 
18.7  Please indicate the research personnel who will be obtaining informed consent from participants. (Use N/A to indicate that informed 
consent will not be collected.)
N/A
18.8  What project-specific training/experience have individuals obtaining informed consent received (e.g. verbal instruction by the PI, 
 
practice with the PI)?  
N/A
18.9  Will the subject have the opportunity to review the informed consent document or Information Sheet, ask questions, and understand 
the details of the study prior to participation?
 Yes   
 No
If Yes, then how much time will be provided?
 
However much time participants choose to take. Participants first have the opportunity to review the 
information sheet during Part 1 of the study which is completely online and completed wherever and 
whenever the participant chooses.
18.10  
 
How will cultural issues, including language, be addressed?  

Since the study population currently includes only students from an American university, we do not expect 
any completely non-English speakers to sign up for our study.  The information sheet, which is english 
asks that participants only click "yes" if they understand what they have read and agree to participation. 
Our demographics questionnaire does inquire about native language and english fluency.  Participants 
who do not consider themselves fluent in English may be excluded from final analyses since the writing 
tasks may be influenced by this linguistic issue.
18.11  Will non-English speaking people be approached to participate in this study?
  Yes   
  No
Will a translation be available for non-English speaking subjects?
Verbally (provide script)
In writing (provide documents)
Both
Neither
18.12  If the study involves minors, then describe the informed consent process of parental permission and how the assent of the minor will be 
 
sought. Attach the documents to the application.  
19.0  
Waiver of Documentation of Informed Consent
19.1  Provide protocol-specific reasons and justification on how 
 of the following criteria are met:
at least one
The only record linking the participant and the research would be the consent document, and the principal 
risk would be potential harm resulting from a breach of confidentiality.  Each participant will be asked 
whether the participant wants documentation linking the participant with the research, and the participant’
s wishes will govern.
Protocol-specific explanation:
 
Participants will be given contact information with which they can contact the researchers for a copy of 
the documentation
That the research presents no more than minimal risk of harm to participants and involves no procedures 
for which written informed consent is normally required outside of the research context.  In cases in 
which the documentation requirement is waived, the IRB may require the investigator to provide 
participants with a written statement regarding the research.
Protocol-specific explanation:
 
Participants will read an information sheet which contains all the elements of informed consent according 
to 45 CFR§46.116(a). After reading the information sheet, participants will select a box (yes or no) 
indicating whether they agree to participate in the research. Those who agree to participate will be 
completing the same measures and procedures as participants recruited via SONA. Participants retain 
the right to refuse to answer questions which they do not wish to answer.