Being a Mother of a Young Child: Everyday Expectations and Well-Being
Thank you for your interest. Please read this page before you decide whether to take part.
Who is running this study?
Nadja Gurschek, a master's student in psychology at DIPLOMA University of Applied Sciences in Germany, supervised by Dr. Sabine Quint. This is a student research project, not a commercial survey.
What is it about?
How mothers relate to today's expectations of motherhood, how they treat themselves when things are hard, and how they have been doing over the past month.
Can I take part?
Yes, if you are a mother, 18 years or older, currently living in the United States, have at least one child aged six or younger, and are comfortable answering questions in English.
What would I be doing?
Answering online questionnaires about your views on parenting, how you respond to yourself in difficult moments, and your well-being. There are also a few background questions. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
Do I have to?
No. Taking part is entirely voluntary, and you can stop at any point by closing your browser window. You do not need a reason, and nothing happens if you stop.
Is it anonymous?
Yes. You are never asked for your name, your email address, or anything else that identifies you, and no IP address is recorded. Your answers cannot be traced back to you — which also means that once you have submitted them, they can no longer be found and removed individually.
How long are the answers kept?
The anonymous data are kept for five years after the thesis has been graded and are then deleted. This is required so that the results remain verifiable, and it follows the professional standards of the German Psychological Society.
Any risks?
No risks beyond those of everyday life. Some questions ask how you feel about yourself and about being a mother, which some people find thought-provoking. You can stop at any time.
Questions?
Nadja Gurschek — 140257923@stud.diploma.de
Full privacy information (click to open)
Who is responsible for the data?
DIPLOMA Private Hochschulgesellschaft mbH, Am Hegeberg 2, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany.
Data protection officer: Oliver Kreimer, datenschutz@diploma.de
Researcher: Nadja Gurschek, 140257923@stud.diploma.de
Supervisor: Dr. Sabine Quint
Which law applies?
The study is run from Germany, so it follows the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The legal basis for taking part is your consent, Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.
What exactly is collected?
Only your answers to the questionnaires, plus the date of participation and how long you spend on each page. The page timings are used solely to check that responses were given attentively; the questionnaire also contains one or two simple check questions for the same purpose. No name, email address, IP address, or cookie is used.
Where are the data stored?
The survey runs on SoSci Survey, whose servers are located in Germany, and the connection is encrypted. The completed data set is stored on an encrypted device by the researcher. Only the researcher and her supervisor have access to it.
What are the data used for?
For the master's thesis, and possibly for scientific presentations or publications. Only summarized results are reported — never individual responses. The data are never sold, shared with advertisers, or used for any commercial purpose.
How long are they kept, and why five years?
Research data have to remain available for a period after a study, so that the findings can be checked if anyone questions them. The professional guidelines of the German Psychological Society and the German Association of Professional Psychologists set a minimum of five years for research materials of this kind. Five years after the thesis has been graded, the data are deleted.
Your rights
You may withdraw your consent at any time while you are filling in the questionnaire, with effect for the future: simply close the window, and the answers you have given so far will not be used. Once you have submitted the questionnaire, the responses are fully anonymous. This means that requests to access, correct, or delete your individual data (Art. 15 to 18 GDPR) can no longer be carried out, because there is no way to tell which responses are yours. You are also entitled to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority; the competent authority here is the Hessian Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, Wiesbaden, Germany.
Is there any obligation?
No. Participation is voluntary, there is no disadvantage of any kind if you decide not to take part, and there is no payment for taking part.
1. Please confirm before you begin.
