Pilot studies

• A pilot study is a small-scale trial run of the actual investigation.

  • may involve a smaller group of participants in order to test the procedure and check the investigation runs smoothly
• Purpose of a pilot study:

  • identify and fix any potential issues in the design or procedure
  • check for extraneous variables that may affect results
  • ensures clarity of instructions for participants
  • assess feasibility e.g. time required
• Single-blind and double-blind procedures aim to reduce bias in research.
• Single-Blind Procedure

  • Participants do not know the true aim of the study or which condition they are in.
  • Purpose: controls for confounding variables e.g. demand characteristics
• Double-blind procedure:

  • Both participants and researchers do not know the true aims or who is in which condition.
  • Purpose: Reduces both demand characteristics and investigator effects (where the researcher unconsciously influences results).
• A control group is used for comparison to see if the independent variable truly affects the dependent variable.

  • helps establish cause and effect in experiments