pilot studies

• What is a pilot study?

  A small-scale version of an investigation
• What is the aim of a pilot study?

  To check procedures and materials work
• Why is it important to conduct a pilot study before the real investigation?

  To identify potential issues and modify design
• What are the aims of piloting in research?

  • Trial run of the actual investigation
  • Involves a handful of participants
  • Checks if the procedure runs smoothly
  • Helps refine self-report methods
  • Validates coding systems in observational studies
• What is a single-blind procedure?

  Participants are unaware of the study's aim
• Why is a single-blind procedure used?

  To control for demand characteristics
• What is a double-blind procedure?

  Neither participants nor researchers know the aims
• In what type of studies are double-blind procedures often important?

  Drug trials
• How does a double-blind procedure prevent bias?

  It prevents expectations from influencing behavior
• What is the experimental group in a drug trial?

  The group receiving the real drug
• What is the purpose of a control group?

  To set a baseline for comparison
• What can researchers conclude if the experimental group shows significantly greater behavior change than the control group?

  The independent variable caused the effect
• What are the two designs mentioned for control conditions in experiments?

  • Independent groups design
  • Repeated measures design
• How does a repeated measures design work?

  Each participant takes part in both conditions