Pilot studies

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Pilot study- A small scale version of an investigation tat takes place before the real investigation, to allow the researcher to make any changes if necessary.

Aims:

Small-scale trial run of an investigation to check it runs smoothly

useful to test out self report-methods like questionnaires and interviews to see if some questions can be misleading or ambiguous.

In observational studies it helps with checking coding systems before the real thing.

It allows researcher to identify potential issues and to modify the design of the procedure saving money and time.

Single blind procedure

Participants aren't told the aims of a study as well as other details that could effect their behaviour to prevent confounding variables and demand characteristics. However, the experimenter does know the condition they're in.

This may mean that the researcher could give things away about the study as they could subtly change their facial expressions without noticing that could effect the participants behaviour swaying the results of the study.

Double blind procedure

Neither the participant or the researcher who conducts the study are aware of the aims of the study.

This is good because it means no one knows and extraneous variables can be controlled.

Control groups and conditions

We use controls as a baseline and to compare to those that have an independent variable in them. If there is a significant difference the researcher can assume the cause was the independent variable.