Copernican Revolution . org
Transforming Our Lives through Self Reflection and Psychology
A psychology professor's collection of lessons fostering self-discovery through online activities, hands-on classroom experiences, engaging lectures, and effective discussion prompts.
Copernican Revolution & Perplexing Questions
Terms of Service and Consent
Though not legally research with human participants, similar principles apply. Risks do not exceed those of everyday life. Using our services constitute agreement with our Terms of Service and Consent.
I grew up in a Conservative Jewish family, a middle ground between Orthodox and Reform Judaism. As a teen, I joined my Orthodox-raised father at his childhood temple, where women and children are separated to avoid distracting men. I’m a person of faith and I connect with our tradition of keeping our heads covered to remind us there’s always something above us – God. But Orthodox emphasis on strict adherence to “the truth” feels shallow to me. During a recent visit, my dad asked me to attend my childhood Conservative temple with him and I did, less out of faith, more to connect with my dad. The fire alarm rang. Pausing to consult with elders, our Rabbi said, “out of an abundance of caution we'll evacuate the sanctuary." My dad leans to me and whispers, "If this was my temple, there's no way they would stop praying. If it's God's will we die today in prayer ..." Through his words I felt the deep beauty of obedience and wished I could feel such a level of devotion and submission to the authority of something greater than myself.
Ark of the Covenant; 1893 engraving
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Let no young man choosing the law for a calling for a moment yield to the popular belief - resolve to be honest at all events; and if in your own judgment you cannot be an honest lawyer, resolve to be honest without being a lawyer. Choose some other occupation, rather than one in the choosing of which you do, in advance, consent to be a knave.
Consent to Participate and Terms of Service
By using Perplexing Questions, the Copernican Revolution Project, or any of our other services, you agree to the following terms and conditions. By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these terms and conditions.
Purpose
Our services offer reading materials, pedagogical tools, and personalized surveys and activities to enhance self-reflection, knowledge, and enhance pedagogical skills. Participation is entirely voluntary and designed primarily for educational purposes without collecting identifying information aside from information you choose to provide and information transmitted between application (e.g., ip addresses; browser information).
For interactive surveys and activities, there is no expectation you provide an email address, a real name, or any other directly identifying information. However, if you enroll in classes with our software (e.g., Moodle), sign up for our newsletters, or follow us on social media, we do have records like your name and email from your sign up. For legal purposes, use or participation with our services does not constitute “research.”
For interactive surveys and activities, there is no expectation you provide an email address, a real name, or any other directly identifying information. However, if you enroll in classes with our software (e.g., Moodle), sign up for our newsletters, or follow us on social media, we do have records like your name and email from your sign up. For legal purposes, use or participation with our services does not constitute “research.”
Consent
While your use or participation with our services is not research, we follow similar ethical principles. Consent is central to our services. Before you begin any personalized surveys and activities, a brief description of the purpose and what you can expect is provided. You may decline to participate and, if participating, you may skip any items, though this may diminish the quality of your results. Occasionally, information about activities is not provided to you prior to participation, such as assignment to random conditions. Active deception is very rare and only when necessary for the demonstration. For example, in an activity measuring aspects of memory, we implant an innocuous false memory. We explain how and reveal the deception in the subsequent debriefing essay. Your participation is confidential and you may increase your anonymity by avoiding a user id including identifying information. You may revoke consent at any time by contacting the website adminwith your pseudonym/user ID, the survey name, and an estimate of the date when you participated. Every personalized survey and activity begins with a brief consent request to use your data and you may say no without any consequences. For example, you will still receive your results and certificates of completion.
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There are minimal risks associated with participation, rarely exceeding those you may experience in everyday life. You may stop using our services at any time and skip any questions for any reason, including discomfort. While we take precautions to protect data, server errors can occur, resulting in lost information including the loss of your results. We do not guarantee the accuracy or reliability of survey results. We do not guarantee we can avoid data breaches. Though contributions supporting our service are welcome, there is no payment necessary for use or participation. The principle benefit of our services is the opportunity to learn about the subject matter and engage in self-reflection. Self-reflection can make persons uncomfortable and we have no liability for any discomfort or harm. Nevertheless, our mission is to make self-reflection a positive experience. Please read our Guide to Interpreting Your Results for help processing difficult feelings.
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Updates to the Consent to Participate and Terms of Service
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