Statement of Informed Consent

Please read the following information carefully before proceeding.

Key Information

The following is a short summary of this study to help you decide whether or not to be a part of this study. More detailed information is listed later on in this form.

Why am I being invited to take part in a research study?
We invite you to take part in this research study because everyone is eligible to participate in it. There are no required conditions or circumstances.

What should I know about a research study?

• Someone will explain this research study to you.
• Whether or not you take part is up to you.
• Your participation is completely voluntary.
• You can choose not to take part.
• You can agree to take part and later change your mind.
• Your decision will not be held against you.
• Your refusal to participate will not result in any consequences or any loss of benefits that you are otherwise entitled to receive.
• You can ask all the questions you want before you decide.

Why is this research being done?
We are trying to understand how well people can visualize shapes in space. We want to understand whether this skill is related to how one’s attitudes and experiences conform to contemporary gender norms.

How long will the research last and what will I need to do?
We expect that you will be in this research study for 15 minutes.

First, we will ask you a few basic questions about yourself and your computer use. Then, you will first be shown 20 shapes. For each shape, you will be given 4 options. You will be asked to guess which 2 shapes are the same as the original shape. Next, you will be shown a board of hidden dots. You will be asked to find all 10 pairs of dots by color. Lastly, we will ask you a few more personal questions.

Is there any way being in this study could be bad for me?
We don’t believe there are any risks from participating in this research.

Will being in this study help me in any way?
We cannot promise any benefits to you or others from your taking part in this research.

Detailed Information

The following is more detailed information about this study in addition to the information listed above.

What is the purpose of this research?
We are trying to understand how well people can visualize shapes in space. We want to understand whether this skill is related to how one’s attitudes and experiences conform to contemporary gender norms. We want to see if there are trends in different characteristics and behaviors, including those related to gender norms, associated with how well people can visualize shapes in space. We hope to use these trends to better understand differences in how people use computer interfaces as a whole.

How long will I take part in this research?
We expect that this research study will take 15 minutes.

What can I expect if I take part in this research?
First, we will ask you a few basic questions about yourself and your computer use. Then, you will first be shown 20 shapes. For each shape, you will be given 4 options. You will be asked to guess which 2 shapes are the same as the original shape. You will need to imagine what the original shape looks like when it is rotated to solve the problem. Next, you will be shown a board of hidden dots. There are 10 pairs of dots, each with a different color. You will be asked to find all 10 pairs of dots by color. You can do this by clicking on each square to look at each dot. You will only be able to look at two dots at a time. After clicking on two dots, both dots will be hidden again. Lastly, we will ask you a few more questions about your personality as well as your life experience.

What happens if I say yes, but I change my mind later?
You can leave the research at any time by closing the web browser or leaving this website, and it will not be held against you.

If I take part in this research, how will my privacy be protected? What happens to the information you collect?
Efforts will be made to limit the use and disclosure of your Personal Information, including research study records, to people who have a need to review this information. We cannot promise complete secrecy. Organizations that may inspect and copy your information include the IRB and other representatives of this organization. Additionally, your information could be used for future studies or distributed to another researcher for future studies without your additional informed consent.

Who can I talk to?
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints, or think the research has hurt you, talk to the research team by contacting Nazeli Hagen, Maxwell Dworkin 242, 33 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA 02138, nazelihagen@college.harvard.edu.

This research has been reviewed and approved by the Harvard University Area Institutional Review Board (“IRB”). You may talk to them at (617) 496-2847 or cuhs@harvard.edu if:

• Your questions, concerns, or complaints are not being answered by the research team.
• You cannot reach the research team.
• You want to talk to someone besides the research team.
• You have questions about your rights as a research subject.
• You want to get information or provide input about this research.

By clicking the "I agree" button below, you are confirming that you have read and understood the above and agree to take part in this research. Your participation is voluntary and you are free to leave the experiment at any time by simply closing the web browser.

I agree navigate_next

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

These questions are optional, but if you could answer at least the first four, that would really help us. ( Why?)

Have you taken this test before? No Yes (important)

How old are you? 456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100 or older (important)

What is your gender? Male Female Non-binary Prefer to self describe: Prefer not to say (important)

What is the highest level of education
you have received or are pursuing? pre-high school high school college Masters or a professional degree PhD (Doctorate) (important)

What is your ethnicity? (Check all that apply)

Asian or Asian American Black or African American

Latino / Latina or Hispanic Native American, American Indian or Alaska Native

Pacific Islander or Native Australian White

Prefer not to answer

Prefer to self describe:

Imagine a 6-step ladder where on the first step stand the poorest people in your country, and on the sixth step stand the richest people in your country. On which step are you?

Step 6 (the richest)
Step 5
Step 4
Step 3
Step 2
Step 1 (the poorest)
Prefer not to answer

How often do you use a computer? Once a week or less A few times a week A couple of hours most days Many hours on most days

In what country did you live most of your childhood?
(Please pick one that influenced you the most if you grew up in more than one)
AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua And BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia And HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoThe Democratic Republic Of The CongoCook IslandsCosta RicaCote DivoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-bissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island And Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle Of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiDemocratic Peoples Republic of KoreaRepublic of KoreaKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao Peoples Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaRepublic of MoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinian TerritoryPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaSaint HelenaSaint Kitts And NevisSaint LuciaSaint Pierre And MiquelonSaint Vincent And The GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome And PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia And The South Sandwich IslandsSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard And Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-lesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad And TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks And Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaViet NamBritish Virgin IslandsU.S. Virgin IslandsWallis And FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabwe

In what country have you spent most of the past five years?
AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua And BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia And HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoThe Democratic Republic Of The CongoCook IslandsCosta RicaCote DivoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-bissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island And Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle Of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiDemocratic Peoples Republic of KoreaRepublic of KoreaKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao Peoples Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaRepublic of MoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinian TerritoryPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaSaint HelenaSaint Kitts And NevisSaint LuciaSaint Pierre And MiquelonSaint Vincent And The GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome And PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia And The South Sandwich IslandsSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard And Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-lesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad And TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks And Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaViet NamBritish Virgin IslandsU.S. Virgin IslandsWallis And FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabwe

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This is what you will have to do…

In each trial, you will be shown a target shape (on the left) along with four shapes to choose from label 1-4. Your job is to select the two shapes that are identical to the shape on the left (despite how they have been rotated).

Things to keep in mind:

• You cannot select more than two images at a time. Clicking on an image will select it if it was not selected and unselect it if it was selected.
• You must select exactly two images before you can advance to the next page. It's okay to guess!

To start the test, practice selecting any two images and click the button below!

Got it. Let's start! navigate_next

Question 1 out of 10

Select the two shapes that are identical to the shape on the left.

Next navigate_next

You finished the first task!

Awesome job! Before starting the next (and last!) task, feel free to take a break for a few minutes if you want to rest your brain and such! Thanks so much for your participation so far!

In the spirit of memory, here's a picture of the most beloved memory-challenged cartoon character of all time:

And if you want to take a quick break, here are some fun facts about memory and your brain:

1. Walking through a doorway triggers the brain to forget.
2. Smell is the sense most tuned to memory.
3. A quick nap can help you retain new information.
4. The slowest speed information passes around your brain is approximately 260 MPH!
5. There is 2,500,000 gigabytes of storage space in your brain. The top-of-the-line iPhone 7 has 256!
6. If you laid out all of the blood vessels in your brain end-to-end, they would stretch halfway to the moon (about 120,000 miles)!
7. It's no accident that telephone numbers in the United States are seven digits long. Our working memory, a very short-term form of memory which stores ideas just long enough for us to understand them, can hold on average a maximum of seven digits. This allows you to look up a phone number and remember it just long enough to dial!

Next navigate_next

This is what you will have to do…

For this task, you will see an interactive board (shown below) with 20 squares. When a square is clicked, it reveals a colored dot hidden underneath it. There are 10 pairs of all different colored dots (possible colors shown below), and the goal of the task is to find every pair in the smallest number of attempts possible. Each attempt consists of clicking on two squares. If a pair is found, the color of that pair of dots will appear on the bottom of the screen so you can see which colors you have already found.

Got it. Let's start! navigate_next

Find all the pairs!

Pairs already found:

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You have completed the main part of the test!

We have a few more question for you (optional).

This is a standard survey of attitudes. Some of the questions may be off-putting, so bear with us.

More often than not, losing does not bother me.

Strongly disagree

Strongly agree

It bothers me when I have to ask for help.

Strongly disagree

Strongly agree

No matter what the situation I would never act violently

Strongly disagree

Strongly agree

It would be awful if people thought I was gay.

Strongly disagree

Strongly agree

I enjoy taking risks.

Strongly disagree

Strongly agree

I like to talk about my feelings.

Strongly disagree

Strongly agree

It would be enjoyable to date more than one person at a time.

Strongly disagree

Strongly agree

When I am talking, I am interrupted more than other people.

Strongly disagree

Strongly agree

My suggestions or ideas are respected and valued as much as other people's.

Strongly disagree

Strongly agree

Next

Thank you for your participation!

Before we continue to the results, please answer the following two questions:

Did you encounter any technical difficulties or interruptions during this study?   Yes No
Did you cheat or in any way provide false information? If yes, how?   Yes No
Do you have any comments for the researcher? Questions, Suggestions, or Concerns?

Done! navigate_next

Thanks for participating!

These two tests measured your mental rotation ability and your spacial memory.

The Mental Rotations Test

How did I do?
For the Mental Rotations Test, your score is out of 10. The average score is 6, and it represents the number of questions where you selected both correct shapes. Your raw score was out of 20. The average raw score is around 16, and it represents the total number of times you selected a correct shape (i.e. a shape that matched the shape on the left).

What is mental rotation?
Mental rotation is the ability to rotate objects in your mind. Mental rotation can be described as the brain moving objects in order to help understand what they are and where they belong. For example, mental rotation is what we use to recognize familiar objects in our environment, even if they appear in a different position than how we remember them. Mental rotation is also connected to spatial awareness and navigation.

The Spatial Working Memory Task

How did I do?
For the Spatial Working Memory Task, you took attempts and minutes and seconds to find all 10 pairs! The average time is 4 minutes and 20 seconds. You also had a total of working memory errors. A working memory error happened when you chose a pair of locations that had already been searched (whether or not they two locations matched). The average number of working memory errors is 35.

What is working memory?
Working memory is defined as the ability to temporarily store and hold information "on-line" for a brief period of time while other cognitive decisions or operations are taking place and the ability to manipulate that information or use it to guide action. Working memory is considered to play a crucial role in a wide variety of complex cognitive activities, including mental calculations, reasoning, and language comprehension. This skill relies heavily on the prefrontal cortex, the region of your brain also responsible for personality expression and decision making.

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