Pilot Testing

Обзор

Source: Laboratories of Gary Lewandowski, Dave Strohmetz, and Natalie Ciarocco—Monmouth University

In any experiment researchers have the challenge of creating experiences for participants that are consistent (i.e., reliable) and authentic (i.e., valid). Yet there are many ways to manipulate any one variable. For example, if you want participants to feel sad, you can have them think of their own sad memory, watch a sad video, or read a sad story.

Researchers must find the best way to operationalize a psychological construct in order to produce the most effective manipulation possible. Often, before running the main study, researchers will pilot test (i.e., try out) their manipulations to check their effectiveness.

This video demonstrates how to operationalize the same independent variable (acute stress) in three different ways. Specifically, this study seeks to identify the best sound (static, ticking clock, or crying baby) to play during a difficult task (solving complex math problems) to optimally manipulate stress.

Psychological studies often use higher sample sizes than studies in other sciences. A large number of participants helps to ensure that the population under study is better represented and the margin of error accompanied by studying human behavior is sufficiently accounted for. In this video, we demonstrate this experiment using just three participants, one for each condition. However, as represented in the results, we used a total of 120 (40 for each condition) participants to reach the experiment’s conclusions reflected in the Results section.

Процедура

1. Define key variables.

  1. Create an operational definition (i.e., a clear description of exactly what a researcher means by a concept) of stressful sound.
    1. For the purposes of this experiment, a stressful sound is any noise that creates a feeling of tension, immediacy, or anxiety within participants.
      1. This will be manipulated through three different sounds: static, ticking clock, and a crying baby.
  2. Create an operational definition (i.

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Результаты

The researcher used 40 participants per condition, and as a result, collected data from 120 participants overall. Numbers above reflect the mean reported stress levels that participants indicated on the 1-7 scale for the stressed item in each condition. This multi-group experiment showed how researchers can operationalize the same construct in multiple ways.

A large number of participants is necessary to ensure that the results are reliable. If this research were conducted using just a few par

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Заявка и Краткое содержание

The use of a pilot test helps researchers determine the most effective way to manipulate stress. With this knowledge, researchers can use the best manipulation in their future study.

For example, researchers manipulated stress by having participants do easy or difficult math problems to determine how stress influenced relationship behaviors.1 The results indicated that those under stress were more likely to pay attention to alternate partners and were less likely to give their own p

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Ссылки
  1. Lewandowski, G. W., Jr., Mattingly, B. A., & Pedreiro, A. Under pressure: The effects of stress on positive and negative relationship behaviors. Journal of Social Psychology. 154, 463-473. doi: 10.1080/00224545.2014.933162 (2014).
  2. Trammell, J. P., & Clore, G. L. Does stress enhance or impair memory consolidation? Cognition and Emotion. 28 (2), 361-374. doi:10.1080/02699931.2013.822346 (2014).
Теги
Pilot TestingPreliminary AnalysisPilot StudyExperimental ProcedurePsychological ExperimentsManipulation Of VariablesPilot Test EffectivenessSound ManipulationAcute Stress InducersOperational Definitions

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0:00

Overview

1:16

Experimental Design

3:08

Running the Study

4:57

Results

5:45

Applications

6:46

Summary

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