Question

In order to study the human behavioral patterns during crisis situations, Clara first conducts a trial run with a small number of participants. She does so to make sure that the instructions are clear to the participants and the whole experimental setting is plausible. This procedure is an example of a _____.

Answer 1

Pilot study

Step-by-step explanation:

A pilot study is a preliminary study (prior to the actual study) done in a smaller scale to determine if the main components of the actual study (duration, cost, adverse events) will be feasible.

A pilot study is crucial to determine whether the study is doable and the areas that can be improved before the actual full-scale study takes place.

In this example, Clara conducted a trial run with a small number of participants to see if the instructions are clear and the experimental setting is plausible. Clara did this before the actual study and she did this trial run in a smaller scale, her goal was to determine if the experimental setting was plausible and areas of improvement (like the instructions), thus, this meets the requirements of a pilot study.