Pilot Studies

Question 1

What is a pilot study?

Answer 1

A small scale trial run of the actual investigation

Question 2

What do pilot studies involve?

Answer 2

A handful of participants to ‘road test’ the procedure and check the investigation runs smoothly

Question 3

When do pilot studies happen?

Answer 3

They should be carried out before any type of research

Question 4

What are the advantages of pilot studies?

Answer 4

• any problems can be spotted and put right
• highlights and problems with the experiment e.g. design, instructions, equipment etc.
• ensures the questions are understood and make sense

Question 5

What are the disadvantages of pilot studies?

Answer 5

• expensive

- time consuming

Question 6

What happens in a single blind procedure?

Answer 6

Participants are not told the aim, or things like the condition they are in, or even that another condition exists. This attempts to control for demanding characteristics

Question 7

What happens in a double blind procedure?

Answer 7

Neither participants or researcher knows the aims e.g. another researcher may carry out the study-attempts to control for some investigator effects (and demand characteristics)

Question 8

Describe control groups

Answer 8

Control gives us a baseline measure so we can compare. If change of behaviour is significantly greater than in experimental group compared to control group, we can be more sure it was the effect of the IV. E.g.experimental group may be given a drug treatment and control group given no treatment to see the effect of the drug compared to those who haven’t had it