Pilot study
A small-scale trial run of a study to test any aspects of the design, with a view to making
improvements.
Any part of the study could be tested, for instance the validity of measure (e.g. does the
questionnaire measure what it is supposed to?) or whether a procedure is effective (e.g. does it
take too long, are the instructions too complicated for participants to understand, or have any
vital steps been left out).
The pilot study is an important part of the experimental process and is good practice which is
widely used.
Exam tip on pilot studies:
When writing about pilot studies in the exam, make sure that your answers are specific to the
context or study presented.
For example, if the question referred to an experiment investigating the effects of a strategy to
improve memory, you could refer to the need to check the stimuli being used in the memory test
and how long participants should be given to learn them.
A small-scale trial run of a study to test any aspects of the design, with a view to making
improvements.
Any part of the study could be tested, for instance the validity of measure (e.g. does the
questionnaire measure what it is supposed to?) or whether a procedure is effective (e.g. does it
take too long, are the instructions too complicated for participants to understand, or have any
vital steps been left out).
The pilot study is an important part of the experimental process and is good practice which is
widely used.
Exam tip on pilot studies:
When writing about pilot studies in the exam, make sure that your answers are specific to the
context or study presented.
For example, if the question referred to an experiment investigating the effects of a strategy to
improve memory, you could refer to the need to check the stimuli being used in the memory test
and how long participants should be given to learn them.
