RESEARCH METHODS: PILOT STUDUES

Question 1

What is a pilot study?

Answer 1

A pilot study is a small-scale trial run of the actual investigation. It involves a handful of participants rather than the total number.

The aim of pilot studies are to check that procedures and materials etc work. It also allows the researcher to make changes or modifications if necessary.

Question 2

What are some elements of the procedure a researcher might want to check as part of the pilot procedure?

Answer 2

Reliability issues
Participant feedback
Validity ( extraneous variables , participant variables)
Reliability - data collection issues
costs and practical issues
Ethical issues (eg consent)

Question 3

How does pilot study help to train observers in observational studies?

Answer 3

It provides a way of checking coding systems before the real investigation is undertaken.

Question 4

What is a single-blind procedure?

Answer 4

When participants do not know which condition of the experiment they are in.
This removes demand characteristics,

Question 5

What is a double blind procedure?

Answer 5

Neither the participants nor the researcher know which condition of the experiment the participants are in.
This removes investigator effects. For example placebos are given, if they do not know what each participant is receiving then expectations cannot influence participant behaviour.