Study information and consent

Study Information

Study: Statistical Mechanics of Restroom Choice

Researchers: A. Franckart, A. Luyckx, N. A. M. Araujo, M. Delens, T. Noël, B. Dardenne, E. Opsomer, and N. Vandewalle

What happens: Answer a short questionnaire, review the rules, play 50 restroom-choice games, optionally play 20 bonus games showing strangers and close relatives in occupied toilets or urinals, and answer some final questions.

Anonymous research data: No name, e-mail address, or IP address is stored in the study records. You report your country of residence yourself. The website's hosting infrastructure may maintain technical access logs.

Eligibility: You must be at least 18 years old and of legal age in your country. Your age is collected with the questionnaire.

Withdrawal: You can stop at any moment simply by closing this page. After consent, your answers are saved as you go; answers already saved remain in the study if you stop and cannot be identified for deletion after your session ends.

Data retention: Anonymous responses are kept for about 10 years and used only for scientific publication purposes.

Contact: Nicolas Vandewalle, Bâtiment B5a, Quartier AGORA, Allée du 6 Août 19, 4000 Liège, Belgique · grasp_uliege@protonmail.com.

Informed Consent to Research

1. Purpose, duration and procedures. This study investigates choices in shared restrooms. After a short questionnaire and the rules, you will see 50 configurations with 4 to 7 toilets or urinals and choose one open toilet or urinal according to the instructions assigned to you. You may then choose to play 20 bonus configurations showing strangers and close relatives in occupied toilets or urinals, before answering final questions. The duration depends on how quickly you respond.
2. Right to decline or withdraw. Your participation is entirely voluntary. You may decline to participate, and you may withdraw at any time once participation has begun, simply by closing this page.
3. Consequences of declining or withdrawing. There are no negative consequences to declining or withdrawing. Once you consent, your answers and choices are saved as you go. If you stop, previously saved answers remain in the study and cannot be identified for deletion after your session ends.
4. Risks and discomfort. No risks, discomfort, or adverse effects beyond those of ordinary computer use are reasonably foreseeable.
5. Prospective benefits. There is no direct benefit to you. Your participation contributes to scientific knowledge about decision-making in shared spaces.
6. Limits of confidentiality. No name, e-mail address, or IP address is recorded in the study data. The website's hosting infrastructure may maintain technical access logs. Anonymous data are kept for about 10 years and used only for scientific publication purposes; anonymized data may be shared with other researchers for scientific purposes. Because responses cannot be linked back to you, they cannot be corrected or deleted after your session ends.
7. Incentives. No payment or other incentive is offered for participation.
8. Whom to contact. For questions about the research or about your rights as a participant, contact Nicolas Vandewalle, Bâtiment B5a, Quartier AGORA, Allée du 6 Août 19, 4000 Liège, Belgique, or e-mail grasp_uliege@protonmail.com. You are welcome to ask questions before deciding to participate.