Frequently asked questions
My child is 5 years old. Can we still participate?
Yes! Your child can currently be 5, but we prefer your child to have not entered kindergarten yet.
We have more than one child. Can we still participate?
Yes, as long as one of your children is age 5 or younger.
Does my spouse/partner also have to participate?
Yes, this is a study about family dynamics and processes, so it is very important that you and your spouse/ partner both participate.
Do I only have to complete 1 survey?
No, this is a longitudinal study, which means that it will assess you and your spouse/partner at multiple different time points. You will complete a large survey when you first begin the study. Then about 2 weeks or so later you will complete daily surveys each evening for 14 days in a row. There is also a survey at around 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months.
How do I access the survey? Where is the survey link?
If you would like to participate in the study, then you must first contact research staff at familylife@psu.edu where we will ask you some questions to make sure that you qualify for the research. After this, you will receive am email from us (via Qualtrics.com) with a link to your first survey and your unique ID number. All survey links throughout the research study will be sent to you via your email address from our secure site at Qualtrics.com.
How do I access and complete my 14 days of daily surveys?
When it is time for you to begin your daily surveys, you will receive an email with the link to your daily surveys. You will then click on this same link each evening (after putting your kids to bed and before you go to bed). The process is simply: (1) Click on the daily survey link in your email; (2) Complete your survey for that day; (3) After you are done with the survey, close that browser tab or web browser and you are done for that day; (4) The next day in the evening around the same time you will click on that link again and repeat the process.
Can I save my survey and come back to it later?
For the surveys at baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months, yes!
Generally you will have about 2 to 3 weeks to complete each one of these surveys, so you can always just close your survey and return to it later by clicking on your unique survey link provided to you in your email for that portion of the research study.
For the daily survey portion of the study (14 days), no.
As these surveys must be completed each evening before going to bed, you cannot complete these across multiple days. You could leave your survey open for a few minutes while you go do something else and then come back to it, but DO NOT close your survey and then try to come back to it later. Instead
Will I be reminded to complete my surveys?
You will receive reminder text messages. During the baseline, 1, 3, and 6 month surveys these would likely be about every 3 to 5 days or so. During the daily surveys portion of the study, you should receive a reminder text to complete your daily survey each evening for 14 days in a row. Not receiving your text reminders? See the next FAQ below.
I am not receiving the reminder text messages. What should I do?
If you have not received text message reminders from us, please contact us directly at familylife@psu.edu so that we can troubleshoot the problem. Sometimes it may be as simple as we do not have your correct mobile number, or it may be that your service provider does not accept our text messages or things called “short codes.”
How will I know when I’m supposed to stop filling out the daily surveys?
It would be best to take note of each day you fill out the survey so that you know when you have taken the survey 14 times. Still, you should receive an automatic text message reminder each of the 14 days you are supposed to fill out your daily survey.
How do I receive my compensation (check or gift cards)?
After you and your partner complete the daily diary portion of the study (at least 10 of the 14 days), your family is guaranteed $20 in compensation. We will contact you to ask whether you would like to receive the $20 via gift card or check. If you would like a check, we are required by law and for tax purposes to obtain your social security number. Once this information is obtained, your check or gift card will be mailed to you.
Your name will be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card after each segment of the study that you complete. For example, if you complete all segments of the study, you will be entered into all 5 drawings for $100 gift cards. Names will be chosen using a random number generator once data collection is complete at each time point. If your name is chosen you will be contacted directly by us.
For all questions not answered here, please email:
Brandon McDaniel at familylife@psu.edu.
Yes! Your child can currently be 5, but we prefer your child to have not entered kindergarten yet.
We have more than one child. Can we still participate?
Yes, as long as one of your children is age 5 or younger.
Does my spouse/partner also have to participate?
Yes, this is a study about family dynamics and processes, so it is very important that you and your spouse/ partner both participate.
Do I only have to complete 1 survey?
No, this is a longitudinal study, which means that it will assess you and your spouse/partner at multiple different time points. You will complete a large survey when you first begin the study. Then about 2 weeks or so later you will complete daily surveys each evening for 14 days in a row. There is also a survey at around 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months.
How do I access the survey? Where is the survey link?
If you would like to participate in the study, then you must first contact research staff at familylife@psu.edu where we will ask you some questions to make sure that you qualify for the research. After this, you will receive am email from us (via Qualtrics.com) with a link to your first survey and your unique ID number. All survey links throughout the research study will be sent to you via your email address from our secure site at Qualtrics.com.
How do I access and complete my 14 days of daily surveys?
When it is time for you to begin your daily surveys, you will receive an email with the link to your daily surveys. You will then click on this same link each evening (after putting your kids to bed and before you go to bed). The process is simply: (1) Click on the daily survey link in your email; (2) Complete your survey for that day; (3) After you are done with the survey, close that browser tab or web browser and you are done for that day; (4) The next day in the evening around the same time you will click on that link again and repeat the process.
Can I save my survey and come back to it later?
For the surveys at baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months, yes!
Generally you will have about 2 to 3 weeks to complete each one of these surveys, so you can always just close your survey and return to it later by clicking on your unique survey link provided to you in your email for that portion of the research study.
For the daily survey portion of the study (14 days), no.
As these surveys must be completed each evening before going to bed, you cannot complete these across multiple days. You could leave your survey open for a few minutes while you go do something else and then come back to it, but DO NOT close your survey and then try to come back to it later. Instead
Will I be reminded to complete my surveys?
You will receive reminder text messages. During the baseline, 1, 3, and 6 month surveys these would likely be about every 3 to 5 days or so. During the daily surveys portion of the study, you should receive a reminder text to complete your daily survey each evening for 14 days in a row. Not receiving your text reminders? See the next FAQ below.
I am not receiving the reminder text messages. What should I do?
If you have not received text message reminders from us, please contact us directly at familylife@psu.edu so that we can troubleshoot the problem. Sometimes it may be as simple as we do not have your correct mobile number, or it may be that your service provider does not accept our text messages or things called “short codes.”
How will I know when I’m supposed to stop filling out the daily surveys?
It would be best to take note of each day you fill out the survey so that you know when you have taken the survey 14 times. Still, you should receive an automatic text message reminder each of the 14 days you are supposed to fill out your daily survey.
How do I receive my compensation (check or gift cards)?
After you and your partner complete the daily diary portion of the study (at least 10 of the 14 days), your family is guaranteed $20 in compensation. We will contact you to ask whether you would like to receive the $20 via gift card or check. If you would like a check, we are required by law and for tax purposes to obtain your social security number. Once this information is obtained, your check or gift card will be mailed to you.
Your name will be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card after each segment of the study that you complete. For example, if you complete all segments of the study, you will be entered into all 5 drawings for $100 gift cards. Names will be chosen using a random number generator once data collection is complete at each time point. If your name is chosen you will be contacted directly by us.
For all questions not answered here, please email:
Brandon McDaniel at familylife@psu.edu.