The effect of music instrumental practice and musicianship on the sensory sensitivity and sensory experience of individuals rated high and low in autistic traits– a mixed methods approach.

I would like to invite you to help me with my research on the effect of music on the sensory experiences of individuals rated high and low in autistic traits. This is the quantitative part of this projects mixed methods approach.

Before you decide to take part, 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 and discuss it with others if you wish. Please feel free to email me with questions if you need any clarification on this matter or if you would like to know more. Take time to decide whether or not you wish to take part.

Thank you for reading this.

What is the purpose of the study?

This research project aims to identify the effect of music on the sensory sensitivity of individuals rated high and low in autistic traits. In this study, there will be three questionnaires: the Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire, the Autism- Spectrum Quotient Questionnaire and a brief questionnaire on your musicianship. The results of these questionnaires will be compared with interviews which explore the sensory experience of music in autistic musicians.

Why have I been chosen?

You have been chosen to participate in this study since you are an adult over the age of 18 and are part of the general population.

Do I have to take part?

Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary. If you decide to take part, you will be provided with a consent form. If you do not wish to answer any question in the questionnaire feel free to skip it. Remember that you have the right to withdraw from this study at any point before the data is collated. If you wish to withdraw, you can do so at any time without providing any reason and we will destroy any data collected from you.

Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential?

Any information collected from you during the course of this research will be maintained as strictly confidential. We will be assigning pseudonyms to the participants who have given their consent, after the questionnaire. We cannot tell you at this moment in time what this research will entail or what analysis will be carried out, but we can assure you that all appropriate ethical approvals will be in place and the data collected cannot be traced back to you. The data(untraceable) might be shared amongst other research teams to allow reuse for further research.

What will happen to the results of the research study?

Your personal data will be processed in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)/ UK Data Protection Act (1998). Your personal data will be accessed only by the researcher and her supervisor, Dr David Simmons. It will be kept strictly confidential and anonymous. Your consent information will be kept separately from your responses. The data collected from you will be stored in archiving facilities in line with the University of Glasgow’s retention policy. Your data will form part of the study results that will be published in expert journals, presentations, student dissertations/theses (if applicable) and on the internet for other researchers to use. However, your name will not appear in any publication. Please let us know if you wish to receive a copy of any reports resulting from the research.

Who can I contact if I want more information?

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

Mayah Lewis on 2308416L@student.gla.ac.uk Or Dr David Simmons on david.simmons@glasgow.ac.uk

Thank you for taking the time to read this Information Sheet.

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