Website-Based Participant Instructions and Research Protocol

Purpose of the Website:

The Tree of Feels Toolkit is an interactive, arts-informed digital resource to explore emotions, develop emotional vocabulary, reflect on personal experiences, and consider constructive responses to feelings.

The website serves as a digital metaphor for life's journey, engaging users with imagery and emotional pathways at their own pace.

Participant Instructions:

Step 1: Access the Tree of Feels website and locate the Toolkit.
Step 2: Explore the visual landscape and relate the imagery to personal experiences.
Step 3: Identify and explore emotions with interactive features.
Step 4: Engage in creative expression through activities like drawing or journaling.
Step 5: Reflect on emotional experiences using provided prompts.
Step 6: Consider possible emotional responses and how to act intentionally.
Step 7: Review and conclude the experience, documenting learnings and reflections.

Research Objectives:

Focusing on emotional literacy, creative meaning-making, self-reflection, intentional responding, and digital accessibilities for users.

Guiding Principles:

Highlight autonomy, emotional safety, accessibility, cultural responsiveness, privacy, and creative freedom for users.

Privacy, Consent, and Ethical Considerations:

Outline data practices, community-sharing options, ethical research requirements, and the importance of proper consent in research.

Research Evaluation:

Discuss pilot evaluations, usability feedback, and improvement suggestions.

Research Rationale:

Describe the purpose of creating an emotion-aware and creatively engaging digital environment for users.

Recommended Capstone Title:

"Tree of Feels: A Research-Informed Protocol for an Interactive, Arts-Based Emotional Awareness Website".

Special Instructions: All sections must integrate smoothly with the existing layout design, maintaining the text structure and ensuring it's defensible as a research document. Acknowledge AI assistance as noted.