Small-scale trial run of the actual investigation.
Handful of participants
Aims to 'road-test' the procedure and check the investigation runs smoothly.
What is a control group and experimental group?
Control group: Baseline setting
Experimental group: Changed setting
Example:
Take ΒΌ of the main participants in the study
2. Split the new group into 2 separate groups (control and experimental)
3. Give the control group the baseline conditions
4. Give the experimental group the IV conditions
-> This will inform the researchers on a predicted result of the real experiment, and whether they need to change their method to ensure the best results.
What is strength of Pilot studies?
The researcher can predict the outcome of the main investigation and decide whether it is worth doing the experiment (cost-benefit analysis).
What is a limitation of Pilot studies?
Pilot studies can be time consuming.
What is a limitation of Pilot studies?
It may cause demand characteristics to the participants on the main experiment if the participants have already taken part in the pilot studies, which would lead to invalid results.
