Pilot studies and more

What is a pilot-study?

Pilot study=

• a pilot study is a small-scale trial run of the actual investigation before it is conducted. The aim is to check that the procedures, materials, measuring scales etc work and allow the researcher to make changes if necessary

Why are pilot studies useful?

Pilot studies are useful as it involves a handful of ppts to ‘road test’ the procedure and check if the investigation runs smoothly. It is also helpful to try out the Qs in advance: ultimately saving time/money.

• for e.g. in questionaires, to remove or reword those that are ambiguous or confusing

What are single-blind trials?

Single-blind trials= where the ppts are not told the aim of the research and other details such as the condition

What are double-blind trials?

Double-blind trials= where neither the ppts nor the researcher are aware of the aims of the investigation: important feature of drug trials

Why are single and double-blind trials useful?

Single and double-blind trials are useful= any information that might create expectations isn’t revealed until the end of the study to control for the confounding effects of demand characteristics .