Miranda Abild Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 First of all, I wish to thank the AVEN Project Team for supporting this project and allowing me to reach out to each of you through this post. Who are we? My name is Miranda Abild and I am MSc. student at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada and I am working together with Dr. Lori Brotto of the UBC Sexual Health Lab, Vancouver. Topic: Given that many of those within the asexual community engage in and maintain relationships despite a general lack of interest in sex or a general lack of sexual attraction to others, our research aims to further detail and understand these intimate or romantic relationships compared to those of non-asexual individuals. Who can participate?: - You need not be in a relationship to participate in this research. - All information is kept 100% confidential and anonymous. The answers you provide will only be used in the context of this research. - You must be 18 years of age of older to complete this study. - Unfortunately, only Canadian and US residents will be included. - Please read the consent form at the beginning of the survey carefully before beginning. The entire questionnaire should only take about 20-30 minutes to complete. Here is the link: https://seanacademic.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_4Iq4bN3CUJTXSZK We really appreciate your time and help! If you have any questions and/or concerns, please feel more than free to reply to this thread or contact me via e-mail at Miranda.abild@gmail.com or phone at (403) 894-1663. Thank you! Sincerely, Miranda Abild, B.A. (Hons) Link to post Share on other sites
Sennkestra Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 This study has been approved by the AVEN Project Team. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Can grey-a and demisexual people participate as well, or would you prefer completely asexual folks only? It gives options for many sexual orientations as one of the first questions, so I would assume it's not just for asexuals. As far as the survey goes, I must say that this was one of the more enjoyable surveys I've participated in. It felt a bit repetitive near the end, but there weren't any questions that made me raise an eyebrow. I wish you the best with your research, Miranda. :) Link to post Share on other sites
nleseul Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Just so you know, I read all the questions about "romantic or intimate" encounters or relationships as applying to me, even though I do identify as aromantic. Link to post Share on other sites
Miranda Abild Posted November 3, 2011 Author Share Posted November 3, 2011 Can grey-a and demisexual people participate as well, or would you prefer completely asexual folks only? Good question! The answer is: Absolutely! We are looking to be as inclusive as possible so long as you make your preferences/identity known (e.g. I identify as: [Other (please specify): _________________ ] and answer as honestly as possible. Make sense? Thanks for asking! Link to post Share on other sites
Miranda Abild Posted November 3, 2011 Author Share Posted November 3, 2011 As far as the survey goes, I must say that this was one of the more enjoyable surveys I've participated in. [/color] I'm glad you think so! We appreciate your feedback - unfortunately, given the use of validated measures, repetitiveness can sometimes not be avoided. Thanks for your patience! Miranda Link to post Share on other sites
Miranda Abild Posted November 3, 2011 Author Share Posted November 3, 2011 Just so you know, I read all the questions about "romantic or intimate" encounters or relationships as applying to me, even though I do identify as aromantic. That's great. We wanted to make sure that everyone felt as comfortable as possible responding which is why we made the "aromantic" answer option available but I am glad you didn't feel the need to use it! Thanks for letting us know! Miranda Link to post Share on other sites
whisper in the wind Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I really enjoyed taking this survey. I hope it helps you. Out of curiosity, why were the questions about depression asked? Link to post Share on other sites
Saolin Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 So, the people conducting this are in UBC Vancouver? Link to post Share on other sites
Vampyremage Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Being from Vancouver myself, the UBC part of this also interests me. Link to post Share on other sites
NevadaWolf Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I answered the survey but confused on the depression parts. Some of those applied but for reasons completely unrelated to my asexuality. Ie within the last two weeks my asthma has flared up so I have been incredibly fatigued and sleeping a lot more. That has resulted in me feeling down cause I can't do very much lately. So I answered as I felt but kept wanting to explain. Hurm... Link to post Share on other sites
Mihas Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Slightly confused on the intimacy portion of the survey. Your definition says that romance/intimacy is that which is derived from relationships that are not friendships but the questions seem to be veiled references to intimate/romantic encounters of the sexual kind. It's just a bit confusing in that I as friendships can also involve intimacy so... Usually intimacy means sexual contact in relationships. I suppose it's just the conflicting meanings I'm having trouble with. I would (maybe) suggest having examples of your definition but I know that has the potential to skew your research. Otherwise, your post here says 18 and 20-30 while the consent form says 19 and 10-20. That is all. Link to post Share on other sites
Trix Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 What is "Divorced"? You mean, if I was once legally married but then divorced, I can never again be single, because now I am "divorced"? What relevance does having been legally married once have to the relationship status with which one now identifies? (Parenthetically, I don't identify with any of the options given, because they all come from the "either you're 'with' someone or you're not" paradigm, and I don't operate within that framework.) I had to choose Single, just because I'm not in any traditional "relationship". I would suggest the following options as more reflective of reality: Current relationship status: Partnered (legally married) Partnered (living together long-term) Partnered (seeing someone) Single (currently looking) Single (currently not looking) Other/no commonly known terms exist/it's complicated And then ask a question about one's previous relationships (i.e. widowed, divorced) separately, if that is relevant to you. Link to post Share on other sites
Sally Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 What is "Divorced"? You mean, if I was once legally married but then divorced, I can never again be single, because now I am "divorced"? What relevance does having been legally married once have to the relationship status with which one now identifies? (Parenthetically, I don't identify with any of the options given, because they all come from the "either you're 'with' someone or you're not" paradigm, and I don't operate within that framework.) I had to choose Single, just because I'm not in any traditional "relationship". I would suggest the following options as more reflective of reality: Current relationship status: Partnered (legally married) Partnered (living together long-term) Partnered (seeing someone) Single (currently looking) Single (currently not looking) Other/no commonly known terms exist/it's complicated And then ask a question about one's previous relationships (i.e. widowed, divorced) separately, if that is relevant to you. I agree on this. Every survey I've ever seen has separated "divorced" and "single", which makes me stop and think, "Should I say single because I've been single for 30+ years, or divorced because I was once divorced?". It's like being divorced is some kind of permanent character trait or a genetic defect. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I was also confused about the intimacy section. The added word "romantic" threw me... I mean, I can have casual sex, but I wouldn't call it romantic... so I have no idea how to answer the questions. It feels like the questions don't take into account that there can be a behavioral/emotional split. Link to post Share on other sites
Miranda Abild Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 I really enjoyed taking this survey. I hope it helps you. Out of curiosity, why were the questions about depression asked? Unfortunately, I can't discuss the reason for some of the questions publicly as it might influence how future participants respond to the questions which might influence the findings. However, if you would like to hear about the reason behind specific questions, I would love to answer any questions you might have via email. Contact me at miranda.abild@uleth.ca and I will be more than happy to answer your questions. I appreciate your curiousity and look forward to your questions! Thanks again, Miranda Link to post Share on other sites
Miranda Abild Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 So, the people conducting this are in UBC Vancouver? Dr. Lori Brotto is working at the UBC Sexual Health Lab in Vancouver General Hospital. I was a UBC undergraduate student in the honours program (which is when I started working with Dr. Brotto) and am currently a graduate student at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta. M Link to post Share on other sites
Miranda Abild Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 I answered the survey but confused on the depression parts. Some of those applied but for reasons completely unrelated to my asexuality. Ie within the last two weeks my asthma has flared up so I have been incredibly fatigued and sleeping a lot more. That has resulted in me feeling down cause I can't do very much lately. So I answered as I felt but kept wanting to explain. Hurm... That's fine. It is understood that individual circumstances are likely to influence the results to some degree which is why some of the questions may be redundant at times. I appreciate your patience though. Cheers, Miranda Link to post Share on other sites
Miranda Abild Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 Slightly confused on the intimacy portion of the survey. Your definition says that romance/intimacy is that which is derived from relationships that are not friendships but the questions seem to be veiled references to intimate/romantic encounters of the sexual kind. It's just a bit confusing in that I as friendships can also involve intimacy so... Usually intimacy means sexual contact in relationships. I suppose it's just the conflicting meanings I'm having trouble with. I would (maybe) suggest having examples of your definition but I know that has the potential to skew your research. Otherwise, your post here says 18 and 20-30 while the consent form says 19 and 10-20. That is all. Thanks for pointing out the inconsistency. I will work on getting that corrected. As for the other issue you raise, your confusion is quite valid - it can be hard to put into words what exactly the difference is between intimacy shared with a friend and intimacy shared with a partner. The reason why we included the caveat "besides that which typically provided by a friend" is because we wanted to be sure participants were answering the questions regarding relations they felt were "more than just a friend" - though some degree of intimacy is common within friendships, I think it is likely most people will be able to relate to difference between that and the intimacy shared between partners (outside of engaging in sexual acts). If that is not clear, then the answers to the questions are simple - "Does not apply to me..". I am sure you can relate to how words can feel limiting at times. Anyways, I hope this answers your question. Cheers, Miranda Link to post Share on other sites
Miranda Abild Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 What is "Divorced"? You mean, if I was once legally married but then divorced, I can never again be single, because now I am "divorced"? What relevance does having been legally married once have to the relationship status with which one now identifies? (Parenthetically, I don't identify with any of the options given, because they all come from the "either you're 'with' someone or you're not" paradigm, and I don't operate within that framework.) I had to choose Single, just because I'm not in any traditional "relationship". I would suggest the following options as more reflective of reality: Current relationship status: Partnered (legally married) Partnered (living together long-term) Partnered (seeing someone) Single (currently looking) Single (currently not looking) Other/no commonly known terms exist/it's complicated And then ask a question about one's previous relationships (i.e. widowed, divorced) separately, if that is relevant to you. I agree on this. Every survey I've ever seen has separated "divorced" and "single", which makes me stop and think, "Should I say single because I've been single for 30+ years, or divorced because I was once divorced?". It's like being divorced is some kind of permanent character trait or a genetic defect. You raise some very valid concerns. I can assure you, however, that whatever option you choose will be sufficient. The reason for this categorization is simply to make describing those who participate in the research as concise as possible. A point you both validly raise, however, is that few participants of research fit neatly into these boxes. I appreciate your suggestions and will likely use more options in the future to negate "forcing people into boxes" which, I agree, can be demeaning. That being said, I don't think any participant would appreciate having to read 20+ response-options just to make sure they choose the right one - I wouldn't want to waste anyone's time like that. In the mean time, I will continue to try to find a balance between "descriptive enough" and "not too descriptive" and, until I find that balance, I thoroughly appreciate your patience and feedback. Miranda Link to post Share on other sites
Miranda Abild Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 I was also confused about the intimacy section. The added word "romantic" threw me... I mean, I can have casual sex, but I wouldn't call it romantic... so I have no idea how to answer the questions. It feels like the questions don't take into account that there can be a behavioral/emotional split. You are quite right - while casual sex does not necessarily provide one with a great deal of intimacy or romance, it certainly can. Intimacy and romance is defined differently from person to person and doesn't necessarily involve the act of sex either - those moments residing before or after sex can be quite intimate while a moment shared on the bus can be as well. As for the behavioural/emotional split, I hope you can agree that intimacy/romance can be displayed and experienced in both emotional AND behavioural terms which is why we were hesitant to describe these terms in too much detail. Anyways, I appreciate you raising this point and I hope this helps ease the confusion. Best regards, Miranda Link to post Share on other sites
Caius Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 i'm not in the US.. but i took your survey anyway... if you ever feel the need to expand your research internationally then you're welcome to use my data :) Link to post Share on other sites
Miranda Abild Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 i'm not in the US.. but i took your survey anyway... if you ever feel the need to expand your research internationally then you're welcome to use my data :) Hi Caius, Will do! Thanks Caius. M PS Both Canadian and US residents are welcome to complete this study. i'm not in the US.. but i took your survey anyway... if you ever feel the need to expand your research internationally then you're welcome to use my data :) Hi Caius, Will do! Thanks Caius. M PS Both Canadian and US residents are welcome to complete this study. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.