Using Animated Video to Enhance Informed Consent in Online Research with Youth

Background and Purpose:

Informed consent, a crucial component of ethical social work research, involves apprising participants of their rights and responsibilities, and the risks and benefits to participation. Participants then explicitly consent to participate. A critical element is competence to consent. Consent is valid only when a participant is able to fully comprehend all study elements. Competence remains a vague concept, with no widespread consensus on conceptualization or assessment (Reamer, 2010).

Given the exponential increase in internet-based research, it is essential to consider how informed consent may be enhanced online – particularly for youth, who are active online and primed for innovative research. The custom of proxy (i.e., parent/guardian) consent may actually increases risks for many marginalized youth, particularly as it reduces online anonymity. Seeking independent consent from minors in online research may be a more ethical approach (Alderson, 2008; Skelton, 2008; Spriggs, 2009).

This paper investigates the potential of animated video to facilitate youth competence to independently consent to online research. Animation has a number of advantages, including convenience, cost-effectiveness, and improved diversity. Animated video was implemented in an online study of sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY), and evaluated for its efficacy in enhancing competence.  

Methods:

The online, mixed methods study (n=6309) took place March–July 2016. SGMY (ages 14–29, x̄=18.19) were recruited from The United States and Canada. Recruitment: (1) emails to agencies; (2) social media outreach (e.g., Twitter, Reddit); and (3) paid social media advertising (i.e., Facebook, Instagram). The study consisted of: (1) a survey component and (2) a video submission component.

(1) Survey component: SGMY had the option to watch a two-minute animated video as part of the consent process. The video, narrated by an SGMY character, explained the study’s most crucial and/or complex ethical elements. The video incorporated audio description, along with visual images and text as reinforcement, and was accompanied by text-based consent materials. (2) Qualitative video component: participants were asked to consent separately to submit a video. Again, participants were provided the option to watch a two-minute video in addition to being provided standard text-based consent materials.  

Results:

(1) Survey component: 78.5% of participants opted to watch the animated video. Of those who watched, 99.4% of participants indicated the video helped them better understand the consent information for the survey. (2) Qualitative video component: 68.4% of participants opted to watch the animated video. Of those who watched, 98.6% of participants indicated the video helped them better understand the consent information for the video submission.

Conclusions and Implications:

Most participants voluntarily opted to watch brief videos to enhance their competence to consent, and the virtually all who did so felt that the videos improved their understanding of the consent information. In online research, where researchers are not present to answer questions, developing techniques to facilitate competence are essential. Cost-effective and user-friendly, animation platforms facilitate ethical innovation – perhaps particularly for youth, who are increasingly consenting independently for online research. Strategies for implementing animated video in mixed methods online (and offline) social work research are provided.