Research Issues And Controls

Question 1

What is a pilot study

Answer 1

A small scale trial run of the actual investigation May only involve a small number of participants
Allows the researcher to identify any potential issues and modify the design saving time and money in the long run

Question 2

What are demand characteristics

Answer 2

A feature of a procedure that influences a participant to try and guess what a study is about and look for cues as to how to behave

Question 3

Controls for demand characteristics - single blind

Answer 3

Participant does not know true aims of experiment or doesn’t know they are involved in one.
OR
Person conducting experiment (who has not designed it) does not know the aims and therefore cannot produce cues about what they expect

Question 4

What is the investigator effect

Answer 4

A term used to describe subtle cues or signals from an experimenter that affect the performance of participants in studies
Cues may be unconscious eg gestures or conscious eg tone of voice

Question 5

Controls for investigator effects - double blind

Answer 5

Both participant and person conducting experiment are blind to aims

Question 6

Controls for investigator effects - randomisation

Answer 6

Using chance wherever possible to reduce the researchers influence

Question 7

What is standardisation.

Answer 7

Keeping everything the same for each participant eg. Standardised procedure and instructions