Beyond the scale: Exploring the relationship between disgust and attitudes towards differing causes of obesity

Researcher: Eve Anderson; email – 2473523a@student.gla.ac.uk

Supervision: Dr. Jude Stevenson; email – judith.stevenson@glasgow.ac.uk

1. Invitation to take part in this research

You are being invited to take part in a research study. It is important for you to understand why the research is being conducted and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully.

Understanding the complexity of language surrounding this topic, we acknowledge the absence of universally agreed-upon preferences. While the medical community often suggests terms like 'excess weight' or 'unhealthy weight', there's a growing emphasis on Health at Every Size (HAES) principles, which may prefer different terminology. In our study, we will utilise the term "obese" to refer to individuals with a BMI of 30 or higher, but we respect individual preferences for alternative terms. It's crucial to note that some measures or vignettes within this research may contain language or descriptions that could be perceived as stigmatising or offensive. Please be assured that these instances do not reflect the opinions of the researchers and we therefore encourage potential participants to engage with these materials mindfully.

Please note that the topic of this study may induce negative feelings, particularly for individuals with experiences of body dysmorphia, or disordered eating. We advise potential participants to consider their emotional well-being before engaging with the study materials. If you believe you may be sensitive to discussions surrounding body image or weight-related issues, we strongly recommend seeking support from appropriate resources before proceeding. Your mental health is important to us, and we encourage you to prioritise self-care throughout your participation in this study. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

2. What will I have to do?

You will be presented with three vignettes portraying individuals who are obese, each with distinct causes. After reading each vignette, you will be asked to respond to a questionnaire that assesses your attributions in response to the obese individual you have read about. Following this, you will be asked to respond to two more questionnaires; one measuring your attitudes towards obese individuals, and one that measures how disgusting you find a range of scenarios.

3. What is the purpose of the study?

Weight-based stigma can pose a major barrier to seeking help, negatively impacting psychological well-being and paradoxically, leading to increased calorie consumption. This stigma pervades various aspects of society, with attributions of control playing a significant role. The aim of this study is to extend the current knowledge of negative attitudes towards obese individuals.

4. Why have I been chosen?

You have been invited to take part in this study because you are aged 18 or above and can read and write in English.

5. Do I have to take part?

No, you do not have to take part in this study. Even if you choose to take part in the study you can withdraw at any time throughout, however we will have no way of identifying which data is yours so there will be no opportunity to remove this. You can withdraw at any point prior to, throughout or at the end of the study.   

6. Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential?

All information collected during the study will be treated as confidential. Your participation and all data collected will be completely anonymous, and no identifying information will be collected or stored. The data collected will only be used for research purposes and will not be shared with any third parties.

7. What will happen to the results of the research study and my data?

Your data is entirely anonymous and unidentifiable, and will be gathered using GDPR compliant software and stored on a secure server. Data, without any personal identifying information, may be made publicly available in an online database for re-analysis by other researchers. Anonymous results of this study will be presented in student research reports and may also be presented at conferences or published in journals, books, and the popular media. If you would like a summary of the results, this can be made available to you upon request from the researchers.

All data and results will be anonymous, kept confidential, and securely stored at all times. All data collected will be kept on a password protected computer with an encrypted hard drive for the duration of the project. This research is being conducted as part of a postgraduate research project. This research is conducted in accordance with the British Psychological Society's Code of Ethics and Conduct.

8. Who can I contact if I want more information?

If you wish information about the study and/or a summary of the anonymised group results, please feel free to contact:

Eve Anderson (student researcher): 2473523a@student.gla.ac.uk

Dr. Jude Stevenson (supervision): judith.stevenson@glasgow.ac.uk

Privacy Notice for:

Beyond the scale: Exploring the relationship between disgust and attitudes towards differing causes of obesity

The University of Glasgow will be what’s known as the ‘Data Controller’ of your personal data processed in relation to this research study titled “Beyond the scale: Exploring the relationship between moral disgust and stigmatising attitudes towards differing causes of obesity”. This privacy notice will explain how The University of Glasgow will process your personal data.

Why we need it

We are collecting your basic personal data such as your age and gender for the purposes of basic research and to describe you based on broad categories, but not to identify you in any way. We will only collect the minimum amount of data required for these purposes to minimise all risk of you being identified.

Legal basis for processing your data

In the context of research, the lawful basis upon which we will process your personal data is usually where “Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller” (Article 6 of UK GDPR). We will also process personal data as permitted by Article 9, of the UK GDPR which permits processing necessary for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes which shall be proportionate to the aim pursued, respect the essence of the right to data protection and provide for suitable and specific measures to safeguard the fundamental rights and the interests of the data subject. Where we need to rely on a different legal condition, such as consent, we will inform you of this in the Participant Information provided to you.

What we do with it and who we share it with

All the personal data you submit within this project is processed by staff and/or research students at the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom. Data will not be sent outside the UK for any purposes at any time. Throughout the project and during the archiving period all data will be stored on password protected University servers.

How long do we keep it for

Your anonymised data will be retained by the University for archiving purposes for a period of 10 years. After this time, data will be securely deleted.

What are your rights?

Under the UK GDPR you have the following rights:

to obtain access to, and copies of, the personal data that we hold about you;

to require that we cease processing your personal data if the processing is causing you damage or distress;

  • to require us to correct the personal data we hold about you if it is incorrect;

  • to require us to erase your personal data;

  • to require us to restrict our data processing activities;

  • to receive from us the personal data we hold about you which you have provided to us, in a reasonable format specified by you, including for the purpose of you transmitting that personal data to another data controller;

  • to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to any of our particular processing activities where you feel this has a disproportionate impact on your rights.

Your rights to access, change (rectify), or remove your information (erasure) may be limited, as we need to manage your information in specific ways in order for the research to be reliable and accurate. If you withdraw from the study, we may not always be able to remove the information that we have already obtained. We must comply with a request to erase personal data, or to rectify personal data that is inaccurate unless there are grounds for refusing the request specified in the UK GDPR. To safeguard your rights, we will use the minimum personally-identifiable information possible.

The Participant Information Sheet given to you will detail up to what point in the study data can be withdrawn as it may be anonymised after a certain point and thus no longer distinguishable as yours..

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please submit your request via the webform or contact dp@gla.ac.uk.

*Please note that the ability to exercise these rights will vary and depend on the legal basis on which the processing is being carried out.

Complaints

If you wish to raise a complaint on how we have handled your personal data, you can contact the University Data Protection Officer who will investigate the matter.

Our Data Protection Officer can be contacted at dataprotectionofficer@glasgow.ac.uk

If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are not processing your personal data in accordance with the law, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) https://ico.org.uk/

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