Which privacy category best describes you?

Are you a "fundamentalist," "pragmatist," or "unconcerned"?

Professor Alan Westin created three privacy categories. Find out how these categories differ and which one best describes you.

Find out for yourself and compare your answers to others!

We will give you some short scenarios to respond to. Find out how your privacy expectations compare to others.

The test takes around 15 minutes.

1164 people have taken this test so far.

Consent

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 a research study because we are trying to learn how people from different cultural and demographic backgrounds use and think about social media platforms. Your contribution to our research allows us to learn more about social media use around the world. The results from your test will also tell you something about yourself!

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 learn how people from different cultural and demographic backgrounds use and think about social media platforms. In this study, we are interested in understanding how you use social media, and what expectations you have regarding how your social media posts are kept private, especially in relation to posts about health conditions.

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.

You will be asked to complete a series of questions about your use of social media platforms and your privacy expectations regarding public social media posts. We will present you with a series of hypothetical scenarios in which public social media posts are being used for research. We will ask you to rate to what extent these scenarios meet or do not meet your privacy expectations.

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. However, we will give you feedback on how your social media privacy expectations relate to others. The experiment is not designed to benefit you, but you may enjoy it and enjoy learning from your results.

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?

The goal of this research is to gain a better understanding of how people’s privacy expectations related to social media posts differ based on content. In particular, we are interested in understanding how individuals feel about health-related posts being used for research purposes.

How long will I take part in this research?

The study includes a one-time survey that takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.

What can I expect if I take part in this research?

You will be asked to complete a series of online questions. You will first be asked to share demographics questions about your social media usage, and whether you have discussed health-related topics on social media. We will also ask if you have been diagnosed with any illness, and whether you have discussed this on social media. We will not ask anything more specific than the general diagnosis.

We will then show you a series of hypothetical social media posts with a description of how the social media post could be used in research. For each of these scenarios, you will be asked to score to what extent the scenario meets or does not meet your privacy expectations.

What happens if I say yes, but I change my mind later?

You can leave the research at any time; it will not be held against you.

Is there any way being in this study could be bad for me? (Detailed Risks)

We don’t believe there are any risks from participating in this research.

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.

We will ask for the minimum necessary demographics on the survey, to reduce risk of the data being identifiable. The demographics we ask for are standard on the lab in the wild platforms. The only additional information we will obtain is any illness that participants have been diagnosed with and discussed on social media. However, we will not ask anything more specific than the general diagnosis.

Can I be removed from the research without my OK?

The person in charge of the research study or the sponsor can remove you from the research study without your approval.

Who can I talk to?

If you have questions, concerns, or complaints, or think the research has hurt you, talk to the research team at mjacobs@seas.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.

Please print or save a copy of this page for your records.

By clicking the "I agree" button you confirm 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.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Why?

The first five questions below are required.

Have you taken this test before? (required)

Have you ever had a chronic disease? (required)

Do you have at least one social media account? (required)

How old are you? (required)

What is your gender? (required)

How often do you use a computer?

What is the highest level of education you have received or are pursuing?

In what country did you live most of your childhood?

In what country have you spent most of the past five years?

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