Implementation Details ---------------------- This page describes how our lab implemented the procedures required by the official protocol for the RRR. It also describes and justifies any departures from that protocol. You can view the official protocl and the main project page for this RRR using these links: - Official Protocol: [https://osf.io/2h6tf/][1] - Main RRR project page: [https://osf.io/s3hfr/][2] ---------- #### Experimenters #### Dr. Rebecca Cobb has been conducting lab and computer based studies of relationship dynamics for the past 10 years as a faculty member at SFU and for 8 years prior to that at UCLA (including an experimental study) where she did her graduate and post-doctoral work. Jennifer Pink and Roanne Millman are PhD graduate students who have experience running experimental lab based paradigms; Jill Logan is a PhD graduate student with experience in running lab and computer based relationship studies. We will ensure that experimenters are blind to the condition assignment of participants by having an RA order the priming questionnaires according to the condition assignments (separate stacks for men and women) and ensuring that the cover page is face up. ---------- #### Setting/Lab/Equipment #### Testing will be conducted in small groups in a computer lab in the psychology department. The lab consists of 15 computers, and groups of 10 will be run to maintain the privacy of each participant. Cardboard stands will be used to create separation and preserve privacy of respondent’s answers. Computers are on long bench tables so there is sufficient space to complete the paper and pencil measures. We will use Dell Optiplex Computers (7010) built in 2013 with 22” LCD monitors running the Windows 7 Professional operating system. Experimenters will be seated at the front of the room to ensure participant’s privacy. Please see the uploaded files for pictures. ---------- #### Sample, subjects, and randomization #### **Target sample size:** We plan to recruit a minimum of 120 participants; we will request additional credits (beyond 120 participants) from the participant pool to ensure that we can achieve our minimum target of 50 participants in each group. **Target sample demographics:** The participants will be drawn from our research participant subject pool that is run by the psychology department. Students in our two introductory psychology courses and in our second year research methods courses would be the target sample, and they will receive course credit for participation. To meet the protocol requirements, we will state the age and relationship restrictions in the recruitment material, and if we begin to oversample females (as would be typical), we will restrict enrollment in the study to men in the latter stages of recruitment (this will not affect total sample size). Based on previous experience with RPS for studies without age or relationship restrictions (but with sex restrictions), we expect to recruit approximately 54% female, 68% Canadian born, and 94% heterosexual participants. Ethnicity will be approximately 0.5% African, 48% Asian, 0.5% Latino/Latina, 7% South Asian (India), and 38% Caucasian (remaining are “other,” mostly biracial). **Minimum sample size after exclusions:** We anticipate that approximately 10% of our recruited sample will be dropped from analyses for various reasons (missing data, failed manipulation, don’t meet inclusion criteria, etc.). Therefore, our minimum sample size will be 120 participants; 60 in each condition, to meet the replication protocol requirements of 50 per condition. **Stopping rule(s):** On average, we receive approval to recruit about 80 (summer) to 100 (fall) participants each semester from the Research Participation System (RPS). Thus, we anticipate being able to exceed the minimum sample size within two semesters (Summer & Fall 2015). Data from participants will be assessed for exclusion immediately following the protocol, and participant data to be excluded will be noted. We will keep track of participants who should be excluded throughout the study in a computerized spreadsheet that will be updated following each testing session, and we will continue to recruit until our minimum sample size is reached taking into account the accumulated exclusions. As we plan to request credits from RPS to recruit more than the 120 participant minimum target, we should not have to turn to other sources to meet participant targets of 50 per group. **Randomization to conditions:** The official protocol gives explicit directions for how to randomly assign participants to conditions, and the main project page for this RRR provides an R script that all labs will use to generate these random condition assignments. **Blinding to conditions:** Participants will be separated from each other by cardboard stands to maintain the privacy of each participant and their test materials. The experimenter will also carefully probe for suspicion regarding the differing priming conditions during debriefing. **Exclusion rules:** We will use the exclusion rules required by the official protocol without any additional exclusion criteria. Following completion of each testing session, we will evaluate whether each participant’s data should be included or not given their responses to the questionnaires (i.e., demographic exclusions) and to the debriefing (e.g., awareness of priming manipulation or request to have their data deleted from the study). Excluded participants will be tracked in a computerized spreadsheet. Only the experimenter (who will be blind to participant condition), will track excluded participants. ---------- #### Software/Code #### We will be using the software scripts provided, and we have verified that they will work on our computers. Please note that we used the original Qualtrics script, because we started testing before the script was revised. ---------- #### Differences from the official protocol #### We do not plan to make any additions to or significant departures from the official protocol. We will be using the provided consent, debriefing, and experiment scripts with minor wording changes to comply with ethics requirements. As no consent template was provided, we prepared a consent form that conformed to our university standards and that is attached. We have also uploaded the experimental scripts, debriefing form (with all changes highlighted), and therapy referral form for reference. [1]: https://osf.io/2h6tf/ [2]: https://osf.io/s3hfr/