RESEARCH METHODS : pilot studies x single /double blind x control groups and conditions Flashcards
pilot study
small scale trial run of actual investigation
what does pilot study involve and why
handfuul of pt rather than total number
to road test procedure and check investigation runs smoothly
pilot studies not just restricted to
experimetnal methods
when using self report methods such as questionnaires or interviews its helpful to TRY OUT questions in advance so youc an
remove or reword questions that are ambigous or confusing
in observational studies a pilot study provides a way of
checking coding systems before real investigation undertaken
in observations pilot stuides can be an important part of
training observers
in short pilot studies allow researchers to
identify potential issues and modify design or prrocedure
saving time and money in the long run
SINGLE BLIND PROCEDURE - pt sometimes not told
aim of research at beginnig of study
SINGLE BLIND PROCEDURE -other details may be kept form pt such as
which condition of experient theyre in or if theres another condition at all
SINGLE BLIND PROCEDURE - here any info that may
create an expectation is no revealed till end of study
SINGLE BLIND PROCEDURE - why is any info that may create an expectation not revealed till end of the study
control for confounding effects of demand charactersitics
SINGLE BLIND PROCEDURE - define
pt unaware of test being conducted whereas researcehr aware of test being conducted
any info that may create an expectation is not revealed till end of the study to contr for confounding effects of demand charctertisitcs
DOUBLE BLIND PROCEDURE -
neither pt or researcher conducting study is aware of aims of teh investigation
DOUBLE BLIND PROCEDURE - who often conducts investigation
3rd party without knwoing its main purpose
DOUBLE BLIND PROCEDURE - often an important feature of
drug trials
DOUBLE BLIND PROCEDURE - t/f in drug triasl treatment may be administered to pt by someone indpednet of investigation and doesnt knwo which drugs are real and placebos
t
DOUBLE BLIND PROCEDURE - beenfit of dobule blind procedures (drug trials
if adminsitrator of drugs dont knwo what each pt is recieving then expectations cannot infleunce participant behaviour - stops demand charcetersitcs /investigator effect being confounding variable whihc reduces validity of xp
CONTROL GROUPS AND CONDITIONS -
what group is one that recieves real drug
what group is one that recievespalcebo
real drug - experimental group
placebo - control group
CONTROL GROUPS AND CONDITIONS - control in research is normally used to refer to
but in this case used to refer to
control of variables
setting a baseline
CONTROL GROUPS AND CONDITIONS - control used in many experimental studies for purpose of
comparison
CONTROL GROUPS AND CONDITIONS - if change in behaviour of experimental group is significantly greater than that of control group what cab resercher conclude
cause of this effect was the IV assuming all other possible confounding variables have remianed constant
CONTROL GROUPS AND CONDITIONS - having 2 groups in an experiment is an x but we can also have control conditions in a x
independent group design
repeated measures design
CONTROL GROUPS AND CONDITIONS - how can we have a control condition in a repeated measures design
each pt takes part twice - ocne in experiemtnal condition then control condition(s?)
why might psychologist do pilot study wehn doing interview about dream
identify whether there needed to be any modifications in the design, eg whether the interview
questions were sufficiently relevant to dream content
