What is the study about?
We invite you to participate in a research project about memory. There are 2 types of memory in particular that we are interested in. The first is spatial memory; how do we know where we are and how do we find our way to other places? The second is episodic memory; how do we remember what has happened to us in our daily lives? The study involves playing games on the Sea Hero Quest App that test these types of memory.
Why have I been invited to take part?
We are aiming to collect data from a wide range of participants including young and old adults as well as people who live in different countries. This will allow us to examine age and geographical related differences in these memory processes.
Do I have to take part?
This information sheet has been written to help you decide if you would like to take part. It is up to you and you alone whether you wish to take part. If you do decide to take part you will be free to withdraw at any time without providing a reason, and with no negative consequences.
What would I be required to do?
You will be asked to play games on the Sea Hero Quest App as part of a daily ‘quest’. The quests will be made up of 2-3 sub-games that test different types of memory. Completing the quest will take about 2-5 minutes each day and a new quest will be available each day. You are free to play a quest each day or to play as few quests as you would like. You are free to stop playing at any time.
Are there any risks associated with taking part?
There are no risks associated with the games.
Are there any benefits associated with taking part?
There are no direct benefits to taking part in the research. You will be contributing to scientific understanding of spatial and episodic memory. Separately from this research, Glitchers Limited offers an optional paid subscription within the Sea Hero Quest app that allows you to track your own performance over time and see how it compares to global benchmarks. The subscription is a commercial product offered by Glitchers, is governed by the Glitchers Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and is not part of this research study.
Informed consent
It is important that you give your informed consent before taking part in this study.
What information about me or recordings of me (‘my data’) will you be collecting?
For the research study, we collect anonymous gameplay data only. This includes: your in-game navigation paths and decisions, time taken to complete tasks, scores, and self-reported demographic information (such as year of birth, gender, and country) that you choose to provide. We also collect limited technical data required to run the app (for example, device type and operating system version). We do not collect your name, email address, precise location, or any other information that would directly identify you. Because this data is anonymous and cannot be linked back to you, it cannot be withdrawn once submitted - we will not be able to identify which data is yours. If you separately choose to subscribe to the Glitchers paid service, Glitchers will collect additional information (such as your email address and payment details) to operate your account. That account data is handled by Glitchers Limited third party processors under its Privacy Policy and is kept separate from the anonymous research dataset.
For more information on the University’s data protection and privacy policies.
How will this data be managed and used?
The anonymous data is stored securely on a drive on the University of St Andrews network and on UK-based Amazon Web Services cloud servers. The University of St Andrews and Glitchers Limited are joint controllers of the research dataset and are responsible jointly for how it is used. The data will be analysed as part of the research study and results will be published in scientific journals. Beyond the research study, the anonymous dataset may also be used by Glitchers Limited for commercial purposes, including: (a) licensing to academic and commercial third parties, such as universities, pharmaceutical companies, and digital health companies, for further research and product development; (b) developing and improving Glitchers’ own products and services, including features within the Sea Hero Quest app; (c) training, validating, or benchmarking statistical models and machine-learning systems (including large language models) used to interpret spatial and episodic memory data — for example, developing navigation classifiers that could be used as part of a medical screening process for early indicators of cognitive decline; and (d) illustrative or publicity purposes on the Glitchers website, marketing materials, and investor communications. All such use is of the anonymous dataset only. Because the research data is held anonymously, recipients outside the UK may access or receive copies of it; this does not expose your identity, because the data cannot be linked back to you. Aggregate summary figures (for example, numbers of players, countries represented, or average scores by age group) may also be shared publicly. The research project is expected to run indefinitely, and the anonymous dataset will be retained indefinitely to support longitudinal scientific analysis and reproducibility of published results. Whilst an anonymous linking ID will allow data across days to be analysed longitudinally there will be no way of using that link to identify participants.
Where can I find out about the results of the study?
Results of the studies will be published in scientific journals.
Ethical Approvals
This research proposal has been scrutinised and subsequently granted ethical approval by the University of St Andrews Teaching and Research Ethics Committee.
What should I do if I have concerns about this study?
A full outline of the procedures governed by the University Teaching and Research Ethics Committee is available here. A link to Glitchers privacy policy and terms of service can be found here. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), although note that anonymous research data is generally outside the scope of UK data protection law.