Are you a parent/primary guardian who has a child between the ages of 3 and 6?
Do you want to better understand gender expression and how to discuss it with your child?

If you answered yes to both questions, you might be eligible to participate in an IRB-approved case study. This study is part of a graduate design research thesis within the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) School of Art and Design, Design for Responsible Innovation (DRI) MFA concentration.

(Hu)Man Enough: Design Interventions for Facilitating Familial Conversations About Media Literacy and Gender Expression

Thank you for considering participating in our study, we appreciate your time and effort.

 
Recruitment Details:

Inclusion in the study is determined by the first 5 participant applications to qualify by meeting the age requirement of child participants being 3 to 6 years old with speaking ability. The race, sex, gender, and sexual orientation of any member in the participating family does not constitute exclusion criteria. Approximately 3 to 5 guardian-child-participant groups will be involved in this research for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We will use all reasonable efforts to keep your and your child’s participation and personal information confidential.

This study aims to determine if graphic design interventions, such as a website and children’s book, can promote an understanding of gender expression and empathy toward diverse expressions. Additionally, this study will determine if the same graphic design interventions can increase the recognition of unhealthy gender expression among users, specifically children ages 3-6 and their primary guardian(s). Participating in this study will involve three phases:

• Phase 1a: You complete a Google Forms pre-survey on your opinions of gender expression.
• Phase 1b: You lead your child through a Google Forms pre-survey on their recognition of gender expression.
• Phase 2a: You read and respond to a researcher-designed guided gender self-inquiry webpage.
• Phase 2b: You read a researcher-designed gender topics conversation guide in the form of a children’s book with your child.
• Phase 3a: You complete a Google Forms post-survey on your potential new opinions of gender expression and study experience.
• Phase 3b: You lead your child through a Google Forms post-survey on their potential new understandings of gender expression and reactions to others’ expressions.

Your and your child’s participation will last approximately 1-3 hours and does not have to be consecutive. The study will take place in the participant's home and will be self guided. The researcher will not be present and will only be involved through digital communications with the parent/guardian-participant. The researcher will not interact with child-participants in any way. Data will be collected by video recordings of each phase set up by the parent/guardian-participant and then delivered to the researcher. More recording and collection details will be provided upon acceptance into the study.

Potential risks related to this research are no more than minimal emotional discomfort, meaning not greater than emotional discomfort ordinarily encountered in daily life. You and your child should not participate if you are not comfortable with concepts of gender outside of traditional binary gender roles. Benefits related to this research include the potential increase in understanding and acceptance of differing personal expressions in yourself and your child.

Your and your child’s participation in this research is voluntary. Your and your child’s decision whether or not to participate will not affect your or your child’s current or future dealings with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. If you decide your child can participate, you or your child are free to withdraw at any time without affecting that relationship.

How to Apply:
To apply, please complete the application questions below. The researcher will contact you with onboarding information via the email address used to fill out this form if you and your child qualify for participation.
 

Contact the researcher, Joshua Pridemore, at jap9@illinois.edu if you have any questions about this study, your child’s part in it, or concerns or complaints about the research.

This study is being conducted by:

Principal Investigator: Eric Benson, Associate Professor of Graphic Design | School of Art and Design, UIUC | ebenson@illinois.edu

Research Team Member: Joshua Pridemore, MFA Candidate in Design for Responsible Innovation | School of Art and Design, UIUC | jap9@illinois.edu