pilot studies and the aims of piloting Flashcards
(16 cards)
What is a pilot study in psychology?
A small-scale trial run of a research study to test its design, methods, and procedures before conducting the full study. It helps identify any potential issues that could affect the study’s validity and reliability.
Why are pilot studies important in research?
• Identify and fix issues with procedures or measures.
• Test the clarity of instructions and materials.
• Help estimate the time required for the study.
• Ensure ethical issues are addressed.
What is the role of feedback in a pilot study?
Feedback from participants or researchers helps refine the study design, making it clearer, more efficient, and more effective for the main study. This could be feedback on task difficulty, understanding of instructions, or participant experience.
How can pilot studies help improve reliability?
Pilot studies help identify inconsistencies in how the data is collected, allowing researchers to adjust their methods to ensure the study can be reliably replicated.
How can pilot studies help improve validity?
By testing the study’s procedures, researchers can identify potential threats to validity, such as confusing tasks or ambiguous instructions, and revise them to ensure the study measures what it intends to measure.
How does a pilot study help with ethical considerations?
Pilot studies give researchers a chance to identify any ethical concerns, such as distressing procedures or lack of informed consent, allowing them to adjust their methods to avoid harm to participants in the full study.
What is the difference between a pilot study and a pre-test?
• Pilot study: A small-scale version of the main study used to identify problems with the research design.
• Pre-test: A trial run of the research instruments (e.g., questionnaires, tests) to ensure they are valid and reliable. A pre-test may not involve a full study procedure.
What are the key steps in conducting a pilot study?
- Develop the study’s procedures, materials, and instruments.
- Run the pilot study on a small sample.
- Collect feedback and assess any issues.
- Make revisions to improve the study.
- Run the full-scale study with the refined methods.
What are the strengths of pilot studies?
• Identify issues early (procedural problems, unclear instructions).
• Save time and resources in the long run by preventing larger-scale issues.
• Increase confidence in the final study’s methodology.
(Examiners often ask about how pilot studies prevent costly mistakes in the full study.)
What are the limitations of pilot studies?
• Time-consuming and may delay the main study.
• May not identify all problems if the pilot sample is too small or unrepresentative.
• Potential bias in feedback, as participants may feel pressure to give positive responses.
How does the sample size of a pilot study differ from the full study?
A pilot study usually involves a small sample (e.g., 5-10 participants) to test the procedures, while the main study uses a larger sample to ensure statistical power and generalizability.
Can a pilot study be used in both qualitative and quantitative research?
Yes, pilot studies can be used in both types of research. For quantitative research, pilot studies test the reliability of measures, while in qualitative research, they help refine interview questions or observational techniques.
What is the difference between a one-group pilot study and a two-group pilot study?
• One-group pilot study: Tests the research design with a single group to identify potential issues before the main study.
• Two-group pilot study: Involves testing two groups to compare different experimental conditions before the full-scale experiment.
How can pilot studies contribute to replicability in research?
By identifying and correcting problems in the research design, pilot studies help create a more robust and replicable methodology for the main study, ensuring it can be repeated with the same results.
What are the ethical considerations when running a pilot study?
• Informed consent: Participants must understand their involvement and any potential risks.
• Confidentiality: Ensuring privacy and protecting participants’ data.
• Debriefing: Participants should be fully debriefed if the study involves deception.
How can pilot studies help with exetotb
Pilot studies provide an opportunity to test the data analysis procedures. Researchers can check whether the analysis methods work and if the data collected is suitable for answering the research questions.
