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Based on the principles of pilot test recruitment, explain why the researcher's approach to gathering participants is appropriate for this stage of her research.
Case context: A researcher is preparing to launch a new study on visual perception. Before the main study, she decides to run a pilot test to ensure the computer software displays images at the correct speed. Instead of randomly sampling from the university's participant pool, she asks three of her lab mates and her roommate to try the task.
Question: Based on the principles of pilot test recruitment, explain why the researcher's approach to gathering participants is appropriate for this stage of her research.
Sample answer: The researcher's approach is appropriate because participant recruitment for a pilot test does not require the rigorous methods of a main study and can rely on informal methods. Asking lab mates and a roommate is an acceptable informal strategy, and a small sample size of four people is sufficient as long as it gives the researcher confidence that the experimental procedure (the software displaying images) works as planned.
Key points:
- Pilot test recruitment does not require the rigorous methods of a main study.
- Informal recruitment, such as asking roommates or friends, is acceptable.
- A small sample size is permissible.
- The primary goal is simply to ensure the experimental procedure works as planned.
Rubric: Full credit is awarded for explaining that informal recruitment and small sample sizes are acceptable for pilot tests because the goal is to verify the experimental procedures rather than to satisfy rigorous main-study requirements.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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