Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, November 9, 2009

A Study on Parenting Beliefs and Behaviors


A Study on Parenting Beliefs and Behaviors

Harvard Dept. of Psychology Survey

Thanks for your interest in this online study of parenting beliefs and behaviors. NOTE: This study is for parents who have at least one child who is between the ages of 3 and 10 years of age. If you do not have a child in this age range, any responses you provide will not be analyzed. Please read the following page carefully so that you understand your rights. If you wish to proceed, you can do so by indicating that you consent to participate in this study (see bottom of page).

Survey Information


Purpose of the research: To understand the choices parents make about how to handle children's wrongdoings (e.g., behaviors like grabbing, pushing, and teasing).

What you will do in this research: If you decide to participate, you will complete this one survey. It takes about 10-15 minutes to complete the survey.

Risks: There are no anticipated risks associated with participating in this study.

Benefits: There are no direct benefits, but we hope that you will find it interesting to think about the questions in the survey.

Also, we will make the results of this study available to those who are interested.

Compensation: No pay is offered. However, later you will be given the chance to enter a drawing for one of four $50 Target gift cards. The gift card drawing will take place after 250 parents have participated in the survey.

Confidentiality: Your responses will be kept confidential. Your name will not be requested, your IP address will not be tracked, and it will be impossible to learn your identity with the data that are collected in this study. When research results are reported, responses will be described in summary. Again, the data collected for this study will not include any identifying information from you. Still, in order to ensure a respect for privacy, all data collected with this survey will be erased five years after data collection is complete.

Participation and withdrawal: Your participation is completely voluntary. You may skip questions that you prefer not to answer.

You may quit at any time during the survey by simply closing your web browser. If you decide to quit early, you may still enter the drawing for one of four Target gift cards.


Contact: If you have questions or concerns about this research, please contact:

Craig Smith, Ed.D.

Phone: (617) 875-9469
33 Kirkland St., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
You may also contact the Harvard faculty member supervising this work: Paul L. Harris, harrispa@gse.harvard.edu

Whom to contact about your rights in this research, for questions, concerns, suggestions, or complaints that are not being addressed by the researcher, or research-related harm:

Jane Calhoun Harvard University Committee on the Use of Human Subjects in Research
1414 Massachusetts Avenue, Second Floor Cambridge, MA 02138
617-495-5459

We suggest that you print or save a copy of the survey page for your records