control + pilot studies

• ways to improve control:

  random allocation

  counterbalancing

  randomisation

  standardisation

  reducing demand characteristics

  reducing investigator effects
• demand characteristics- when participants may work out the aim of the study and change their behaviour
• types of demand characteristics:

  social desirability bias( to appear better)

  the ‘please U effect‘

  the ‘screw U effect’
• investigator effects- a type of confounding variable, cues from the investigator that encourage participants to behave in a particular way
• pilot studies- a small scale trial run of the investigation to check for the method

  this saves time and money.

  there could be:

  ceiling effect- too easy tasks

  floor effect- too difficult tasks