Informed Consent Form for the eligible participants, particularly Filipino citizens between the

legal ages of 18 to 30, in the project for whom this consent is intended.

Jham White G. Perral

Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan
Sana All: Exploring Social Comparison as it occurs on TikTok, and its Two-Pronged Effects on
Life-Satisfaction

PART I: INFORMATION SHEET

INTRODUCTION
Greetings! Thank you for voluntarily partake in our study: Sana All: Exploring Social
Comparison as it occurs on TikTok, and its Two-Pronged Effects on Life-Satisfaction by 3rd
year BS Psychology students of Xavier Ateneo. It has come to our knowledge that you are
one of those who experienced the subject phenomenon, hence,. You will be given enough
time to carefully decide whether/not you are to participate in the research. Should there be
any concept or jargon that you failed to understand, these will be explained as you advance
through the paper. Moreover, you can also raise any inquiries regarding the study anytime.

PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH

This study is conducted in order to answer the following set of questions:
(1) Are TikTok users more likely to employ upward social comparison?
(2) Does Upward Social Comparison in TikTok predict low levels of Life-Satisfaction?
(3) Does Downward Social Comparison in TikTok predict high levels of Life-Satisfaction?

TYPE OF RESEARCH INTERVENTION

You will only be required to read and submit the informed consent, the demographic survey,
and the questionnaire. There will be no interventions involved unless you need assistance
from the researchers in answering the questionnaires, when you wish to stop participating
in the study, or require psychological assistance due to possibly experiencing uneasiness
while partaking in answering the questionnaire.

PARTICIPANT SELECTION
The selected participants for this research study are Filipinos between the ages of 18-30
who are active users, those who actively post content on TikTok, and passive users, those
who passively scroll through the platform. Those who are minors, non-TikTok users, and
those with less than the average TikTok usage time of one (1) hour are not eligible to
participate. If you belong to the eligible participants for this study, then you may or may not
contribute if you wish to do so.
VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION
This is a voluntary participation so you may volunteer to partake in the study by answering
and submitting the questionnaire and the consent certificate but you are not in any form
forced or pressured to participate in this study. You have the freedom to choose whether or
not you will take part in the intervention. If you ever feel the need to backout, you are free
to do so. If the study has already been conducted yet you wish to revoke your personal
information, this can be made possible. Please do get in touch with the researchers if you
relate to any of the aforementioned concerns. Their contact details will be provided below.
Participation may be terminated for the following reasons: missing information/answers on
questionnaires, suspicious patterns of answers found in the questionnaires or if your
answers will be deemed as an outlier in the results of the study.

PROCEDURES
A. This is a non-experimental, cross-sectional, and predictive study. You, as participants,
will only be part only in data gathering where your data will be used for the results and
data analysis to determine the relationship of social comparison happening in the TikTok
app and Life Satisfaction of Filipino participants. If you wish to participate in
disseminating and spreading the advertisement of the research to any social media
platform of your choice, you are free to do so.

B. You, as participants, will be expected to read the Information and Consent Form, to
answer a demographic survey, and two sets of questionnaires, where all of this will be
done online. The questions involve social comparison so you may feel uncomfortable or
may trigger insecurities and if you wish to stop participating, you may freely do so. All of
the data you have provided, prior to cancelling participating, will be excluded
immediately.

For questionnaire surveys:

The survey questionnaire will be made available online through Google document forms in a
form of survey. An advertisement of this study will be posted on Social Media sites such as
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, with Facebook as the main platform and will continue to
be posted and advertised until the desired number of responses are met. You may answer
the questionnaire personally on your own, or should you require the assistance in answering
then it shall be provided for you. You may request the questionnaire to be read aloud for
you and your answers will be written down by the researchers. If you wish to skip a
question or do not want to answer the questions at all, you may do so. The information you
will give is strictly confidential and the forms will not include your personal information and
names. Those who are not the researchers will never be able to view your information and
the data will be stored on a private document that will only be accessible to the researchers.
Once your data has been gathered and analyzed, your records will automatically be deleted
once rendered completed and unusable.

DURATION
In reading, understanding, and answering the Information and Consent forms to answering
the survey and questionnaire, a total of 15-25 minutes may be allotted for the whole
research questionnaire to be completed. Furthermore, the participation in this study will be
in a time-bound manner.
RISKS
This study's participants will complete a 15-25 minute online questionnaire, which might
cause some physical discomfort like eye strain from staring at their gadgets. Possible risks
include mild emotional discomfort on certain questions that include remembering both
happy and bad social comparison experiences, reducing self-esteem, and realizing that life
satisfaction may not be as high as one may think. Hence, You can decide not to respond if
you feel like the question or the issue is uncomfortable, too private, or could in any other
way create fear or humiliation. A psychometrician will also be present in such cases that you
feel the need for psychological assistance. Costs incurred upon the first session with the
licensed professional will be shouldered by the researchers. With that, this study possesses
minimal risks.

BENEFITS
Participants will receive no financial compensation or other material or personal benefits as
a result of participation in the proposed study, nor will there be any benefit to the
community to which each volunteer belongs.

REIMBURSEMENTS
Participation in this study is purely voluntary. It does NOT involve any form of monetary
payment. You will only be paid for compensation if expenses (e.g. internet use, fair, etc.)
are spent as a byproduct of your involvement.

CONFIDENTIALITY
All information acquired for this study will be kept secret in a safe and confidential online
folder to which only the researchers and the professional psychometrician hired by them will
have access. No personal information will be utilized in gathering data or analyzing findings
since anonymity will be maintained. Personal information that will be collected and
processed from you will only be used to track down any difficulties or complaints mentioned
in open-ended inquiries so that we may solve any prospective processing session demands.

SHARING THE RESULTS

Results will not contain the raw data and your personal information. Results and analysis will
strictly contain only the scores of the questionnaires you have answered as anonymity will
strictly be maintained. If you wish to be emailed the results of the study and your personal
data, your request shall be granted by the researchers.

RIGHT TO REFUSE OR WITHDRAW

You can opt out of the research at any time by simply leaving the link that you have clicked.
If you desire to withdraw or withhold consent in case of any changes after clicking the
submit button on the last page of the Google Form, please contact the researchers using the
details provided in the Informed Consent and request that the data you entered in the study
be erased. The researchers will honor and accept your decision and will not impose any
penalties.

WHO TO CONTACT
Jham White G. Perral - Principal Investigator
20170011609@my.xu.edu.ph
09050354263

Xavier Ateneo Research Ethics Board

2/F Lucas Hall
Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan
Corrales Avenue
9000 Cagayan de Oro City
Email: reo@xu.edu.ph
Tel: +63 88 853 9800 local 1967
 PART II: CERTIFICATE OF CONSENT

I have read or have had read to me the relevant information. I've had the
opportunity to ask questions regarding it, and all of them have been addressed
satisfactorily. I willingly agree to participate in this study.

RASHIDA J. ELLIOT
Print Name of Participant: _________________
Signature of Participant: ___________________
Sept. 29, 2022
Date: ___________

Witness consent form applicable to participants with issues on eyesight and reading:
I have witnessed the accurate reading of the consent form to the potential
participant, and the individual has had the opportunity to ask questions. I confirm
that the individual has given consent freely.

Print name of witness____________

Signature of witness _____________
Date: __________
STATEMENT BY THE RESEARCHER OR PERSON TAKING CONSENT

I have accurately read out the information sheet to the potential participant, and
to the best of my ability made sure that the participant understands that the
following will be done:
1. To carefully understand their rights to participate in the study and is able to
withdraw from participating anytime they wish.
2. To answer the survey questions truthfully and their data will be used for the
research purposes.
3. To be assured that confidentiality and anonymity will be strictly observed in
the study.

I confirm that the participant was given the chance to ask questions concerning
the study, and that all questions were answered appropriately and to the best of
my abilities. I affirm that the subject was not pressured into consenting, and that
the consent was given freely and voluntarily.

A copy of this Informed Consent Form has been provided to the participant.
Print Name of Researcher or person taking the consent Jham White G. Perral
Signature of Researcher or person taking the consent

_________________________
Date: <08/10/2022>