Investigating how masking (social camouflaging) impacts autistic individuals and people who have had a brain injury.
Please read the below information regarding research that you may wish to participate in:
Eleanor McDowall, is an Undergraduate Applied Psychology student at the University of Exeter. The other researcher is Professor Anna Adlam (University of Exeter), who is supervising the research.
Purpose of the research:
Masking (or social camouflaging) is where people can use strategies, like making eye contact or preparing talking topics in advance, to try to ‘fit in’ or try to ‘hide’ their autistic traits. Masking can be very effortful and can lead to increased stress and feelings of low mood.
The study aims to address this research gap by inviting autistic people and people who have had an acquired brain injury to complete some questionnaires to help to better understand their experiences of masking and how this can impact wellbeing.
Who can participate:
The study is inviting people (aged 16 years and over) who are diagnosed with autism, or self-identify as autistic, or have had an acquired brain injury to take part. The study also welcomes people with co-occurring conditions, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
You will be asked to complete a survey asking about experiences of masking and wellbeing. Additionally, there will be an open text box where you can express additional thoughts about your experiences with masking. No personal identifying information must be entered into the text box. The survey will take approximately 15 to 30 minutes to complete.
Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary. You are under no obligation to take part, and you may stop at any time. If you stop before completing the survey your information will not be saved and you will not have completed the survey. Withdrawal after submitting your survey responses is not possible as your responses will be anonymous and, therefore, will not be identifiable to the researcher to enable removal from the study.
If you have any questions/queries regarding the above research please contact: Eleanor at socialcamouflage26@gmail.com
You can gain access to the form containing the information sheet and the questionnaire via this link:
https://exe.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7QcHnukboX939c2
