Doctoral Research Study
EFFICACY OF A CHRISTIAN INTERVENTION TO PROMOTE POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH IN WOMEN RECOVERING FROM INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE.
Thank you for your interest in participating in my doctoral research study. Please read through the following Informed Consent for full details about this study. Press the "I Agree" button at the bottom of the page to continue enrolling as a participant in the study.
The Researcher
Jerra Dooley, MA Pastoral Counseling
Doctoral Candidate
School of Behavioral Sciences, Community Care and Counseling
Liberty University
Informed Consent
Title of the Project: Efficacy of A Christian Intervention to Promote Posttraumatic Growth in Women Recovering from Intimate Partner Violence
Principal Investigator: Jerra Dooley, MA, Liberty University
Invitation to be part of a Research Study
You are invited to participate in a research study. To participate, you must be at least 19 years old, be female, identify as a Christian, and have experienced abuse by an intimate partner in your lifetime but not within the past 12 months. Taking part in this research project is voluntary.
Please take time to read this entire form and ask questions before deciding whether to take part in this research.
What is the study about, and why is it being done?
The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a biblically based personal development seminar in promoting posttraumatic growth following the trauma of intimate partner violence.
In addition, this study will inform pastors, church leaders, biblical counselors, and clinical counselors of the successful integration of faith-based programs for Christian women who are recovering from intimate partner violence (IPV).
What will happen if you take part in this study?
If you agree to be in this study, I will ask you to complete the following tasks.
- Take a pretest. The pretest includes demographic questions, the Intimate Partner Violence Checklist, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. The pretest will take you about 20 minutes to complete.
- Attend a one-time, 3-hour personal development program seminar that includes discovering your identity and purpose in Christ.
- Return to this website to take the posttest that involves answering the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory items once more. The posttest will take you about 10 minutes and should be completed within 24 hours of attending the seminar.
How could you or others benefit from this study?
The direct benefit you should expect to receive from taking part in this study includes a possible change in how you feel about personal strength, new possibilities, improved relationships, spiritual growth, and appreciation for life.
Benefits to society include an increased understanding of the effectiveness of biblically based interventions for addressing posttraumatic stress in Christian women victimized by IPV. In addition, this study will provide evidence to the existing scholarly literature on how the severity of abuse and time since last episode of IPV affects posttraumatic growth.
What risks might you experience from being in this study?
The potential for risks associated with this study is not greater in and of themselves than those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of routine psychological examinations or tests.
How will personal information be protected?
The records of this study will be kept private. Research records will be stored securely, and only the researcher will have access to the records.
Participant responses will be anonymous. Participants will be asked to place a self-created code on the pre-test and post-test.
The data will be stored on the researcher’s password-locked computer, kept in a locked safety box in her home, and will not be used in future presentations. After three years, all data will be deleted from her computer.
Is the researcher in a position of authority over participants, or does the researcher have a financial conflict of interest?
The researcher has no known conflicts of interest. However, in full disclosure, the researcher serves as the pianist at the host church and serves as a certified biblical counselor at another church in the area. To limit potential or perceived conflicts, the researcher will not know the identity of any participants. This disclosure is made so that you can decide if this relationship will affect your willingness to participate in this study. No action will be taken against an individual based on her decision to participate or not participate in this study.
Is study participation voluntary?
Participation in this study is voluntary. Your decision on whether or not to participate will not affect your current or future relations with Liberty University. If you decide to participate, you are free to not answer any question or withdraw at any time prior to submitting the assessments without affecting those relationships.
What should you do if you decide to withdraw from the study?
If you choose to withdraw from the study prior to completing the pre-test, please exit the survey and close your internet browser. Your responses will not be recorded or included in the study. If you choose to exit the study after completing the post-test, please inform the researcher by contacting her using the contact information included below. Should you choose to withdraw, data collected from you will be destroyed immediately and will not be included in this study.
Whom do you contact if you have questions or concerns about the study?
The researcher conducting this study is Jerra Dooley. If you have questions, you are encouraged to contact her via the Researcher Questions link on the research website which allows questions to be asked of the researcher anonymously. Her phone number is (205) 613-5967 and her email address is jdooley1@liberty.edu. You may also contact the researcher’s faculty sponsor, Dr. Pamela Moore, at pmoore@liberty.edu.
Whom do you contact if you have questions about your rights as a research participant?
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this study and would like to talk to someone other than the researcher, you are encouraged to contact the Institutional Review Board, 1971 University Blvd., Green Hall Ste. 2845, Lynchburg, VA 24515 or email at irb@liberty.edu.
Disclaimer: The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is tasked with ensuring that human subjects research will be conducted in an ethical manner as defined and required by federal regulations. The topics covered and viewpoints expressed or alluded to by student and faculty researchers are those of the researchers and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of Liberty University.
Your Consent
Before agreeing to be part of the research, please be sure that you understand what the study is about. You can print a copy of this document for your records. If you have any questions about the study later, you can contact the researcher using the information provided above.
If you agree to participate in the study, click “I AGREE” below and you will be redirected to a page to create a login for this website. You will need to provide your email address but no one but the 3rd-party webmaster will see this. You can also opt in for the webmaster to send you two email reminders about the 3-hour Personal Development Program you will need to attend in February 2023. Upon creating the login, you will be directed to the pretest assessments page. This will take about 10 more minutes to complete from this point.
If you choose not to participate, please click the “I DISAGREE” button to land on a page with some resources that may be helpful to you.