Pilot studies +more

• Pilot studies are a small-scale trial run of an investigation to test procedures. If any problems are encountered then the design can be modified.
• Control groups are the group of participants that are used to set comparison. They act as a baseline to help establish causation.
• Single blind studies are when participants don't know the aims of the study so that demand characteristics are reduced.

  
  

  Double blind studies are when both the participant and researcher don't know the aims of the study to reduce demand characteristics and investigator effects.
• Peer review: A process conducted before publication which involves research being scrutinised by experts in the field.

  It aims to:

  1)Allocate research funding.

  2)Validate the quality and relevance of research.

  3)Improvements and amendments are suggested.

  
  

  +)Protects the quality of published research by minimising the possibility of fraudulent research that preserves psychology's reputation as a science.

  -)Reviewers may be more critical of research that contradicts their review which means potentially groundbreaking research may be buried.
• Type 1 error: When the null hypothesis is rejected and the alternative hypothesis is accepted when the null hypothesis is correct. Occurs when the significance level is too high.

  
  

  Type 2 error: When the null hypothesis is accepted when the alternative hypothesis is correct. Occurs when the significance level is too low.