You are being asked to take part in a research study.

Study Purpose

This research is being conducted to learn about how people make decisions under uncertainty. Specifically, we are interested in learning about how our decision-making compares to that of animals and artificial intelligence (“AI”). To do so, we are studying the decisions that people, animals, and machines make when playing simple video games.

Participation is voluntary

Your participation in this study is voluntary, and you may withdraw your participation at any time for any reason.

What you will be asked to do

If you take part in this study, you will be asked to play one of three simple video games in which you make decisions under uncertainty. We expect that most people will spend about 20 minutes playing these games (you are welcome to participate in the game for up to an hour), after which you may fill out an optional questionnaire about your overall experience of the study to help us understand your thought process.

Eligibility criteria

To participate in this study, you must

1. be at least 18 years old.
2. be able to read and understand English: You must be able to read and understand the consent form and the instructions for the video games.
3. have access to a computer or laptop device; You can only play this experiment's video games on a computer or laptop device. You cannot play the video games on your mobile phone or tablet device.
   If you do not meet all of the criteria at this time, please press the 'Decline and Exit' button.

Possible Risks

We expect minimal risks or possible discomforts from the study procedures for most participants. The possible risks of participating in this study include:

1. Psychological and emotional risks. The video games will have images, sounds, and keyboard use similar to those normally encountered when using a computer. There may be feedback sounds or images after you make decisions. All participants are expected to make mistakes when playing the video games used in the research. Participants with anxiety or discomfort related to negative feedback should check with their mental health provider before participating.
2. Physical risks. You will be typing and using a computer mouse or trackpad for approximately 20 minutes or up to an hour at a time. This can produce fatigue or discomfort in some participants, and you are advised to consult with your physician about any concerns before participating. The tasks also include visual and auditory stimuli. Participants vulnerable to certain visual or auditory stimuli (e.g., persons with epilepsy) should consult their doctors before participating.
3. Data breach. Although data generated from your participation will be anonymous and stored securely, there remains a risk of a data breach which might allow your participation in the study, video game performance, and/or questionnaire responses to become available to others.

How study data will be used

If identifiers are removed from your identifiable private information or identifiable samples that are collected during this research, that information or those samples could be published and/or used for future research studies or distributed to another investigator for future research studies without your additional informed consent.

Benefits

There are no direct benefits to you from your participation in this research. We cannot promise any benefits to others from your participation in this research. However, this study aims to help better understand how we reason when faced with uncertain situations and how this is similar to or different from how animals and machines think. This will help us better understand when and how animals and machines can be used to study how we reason under uncertainty, which may help us advance research aimed at improving and treating neurological and psychiatric diseases.

Compensation

There is no monetary compensation for participating in the study.

Ending participation

You can decline to participate in any part of this study for any reason and can end your participation at any time. The person in charge of the research study or the sponsor can remove you from the research study without your approval for any reason.

Questions

If you have any questions about this study, you can contact our study director, Allison Hamilos MD, PhD:
Harvard Medical School
Department of Neurobiology
Warren Alpert Building, Room 222
200 Longwood Avenue, 02115 Boston, MA, USA

E-mail: uncertaintystudy@hms.harvard.edu
Phone: +1-617-432-2804
Thank you again for your time and participation.

Statement of Consent

I have read the information in this consent form including risks and possible benefits. All my questions about the research have been answered to my satisfaction. I understand that I am free to withdraw at any time.

My clicking the 'Accept and Continue' button documents that

1. I am 18 years old or above,
2. I have access to a computer or laptop device and will participate in the experiment using a computer or laptop device,
3. I understand the consent form and have asked any questions I may have had. I am proficient enough in English to participate in the experiment as described above.
4. I give my consent to participate in this study and consent to the use of data collected during my participation in this research.