If you know what parameter settings you need in order to show the effect, then, sure, no need to pilot.
But I know in attention and depth perception research (the two areas I'm most familiar with), it's rare to run a study without having to play with any parameters. You don't start sloppy -- you set things up according to what the literature and your hypotheses tell you, and you exercise control as you would with any research. I always felt that pilot work wasn't wasted, but taught me about what the source of the effect was. You go in with an idea that something should do something, but you have to play with it a while to figure it out. Calling it "pilot research" sort of demeans it -- it's really empirical research. But I sure never thought of it as a waste. That's how I learned what was doing what. m -- Marc Carter, PhD Associate Professor and Chair Department of Psychology College of Arts & Sciences Baker University -- ________________________________ From: Pollak, Edward [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 9:24 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] FW: Whatever happened to pilot studies? My thesis adviser taught me "never run a pilot study." His point was that you should start to do every study as clean & neat as possible and assume that it will "work." Certainly, many of these studies will turn into pilot studies when problems crop up but to start out assuming it's a pilot study is just wasting time & energy. There is, IMO, a fair amount of wisdom in this approach. Ed Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D. Department of Psychology West Chester University of Pennsylvania ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Husband, father, grandfather, biopsychologist, & bluegrass fiddler...... in approximate order of importance. --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13029.76c7c563b32ad9d8d09c72a2d17c90e1&n=T&l=tips&o=2596 (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) or send a blank email to leave-2596-13029.76c7c563b32ad9d8d09c72a2d17c9...@fsulist.frostburg.edu<mailto:leave-2596-13029.76c7c563b32ad9d8d09c72a2d17c9...@fsulist.frostburg.edu> ________________________________ The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto ("e-mail") is sent by Baker University ("BU") and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify Baker University by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=2602 or send a blank email to leave-2602-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
