Ch. 6- Observational Research

Question 1

Descriptive research

Answer 1

Used to study what is happening

Question 2

Experimental Research

Answer 2

Why a phenomenon occurs

Question 3

System Observational Research:

Answer 3

• Viewing and recording of a predetermined set of behaviours
Clearly observe and record behaviour in a methodical way

Question 4

External Validity:

Answer 4

Extend to which study findings are applicable or generalize outside the data collection setting to other persons, in other places, at other times

Question 5

Ecological Validity:

Answer 5

The degree to which the research situation recreates the psychological experiences that participants would have in real life

Question 6

Participant Observation:

Answer 6

An observational data collection technique in which the observer participates with those being observed

Question 7

Naturalistic Observation:

Answer 7

Technique of data collection in which researchers observes events as they occur in a natural setting

Question 8

Non-Concealed Observation:

Answer 8

Participant observation in which observers inform participants that they are under observation

Question 9

Reactivity:

Answer 9

When individuals alter their performance or behaviour due to the awareness that they are under observation

Question 10

Concealed Observation:

Answer 10

Participant observation in which the observer never reveals to the participants that they are under observation

Question 11

Active Deception:

Answer 11

Deliberately misleading participants in a study

Question 12

Coding System:

Answer 12

Set of rules to help guide how the researcher classifies and records behaviours under observation

Question 13

Duration Recording:

Answer 13

Recording the elapsed time during which a behaviour occurs

Question 14

Frequency-Count Recording:

Answer 14

Recording each time a target behaviour occurs

Question 15

Observation Schedule:

Answer 15

Paper and pencil/ electronic form where observers note the particular behaviour of the phenomenon they observe

Question 16

Blind Observation:

Answer 16

When observers are trained to look for particular behaviours but are uninformed about study expectations or the overall purpose of the research investigation

Question 17

Intra-Observer Reliability:

Answer 17

Extent to which an observer consistently codes a variable

Question 18

Pilot Testing:

Answer 18

• Trial run used to test and refine the design, methods, and instruments for a study prior to carrying out the research

Question 19

Inter-Observer Reliability:

Answer 19

• Level of agreement between 2 observers coding the same phenomenon
Also known as inter-rater reliability

Question 20

Interval Recording:

Answer 20

Procedural method for recording observation that involves breaking down an observational period into equal, smaller time periods, and then indicating whether a target behaviour occurred during each time period

Question 21

Continuous Recording:

Answer 21

Procedural method for recording observation that involves recording all the target behaviour of a target individual during a specified observational period

Question 22

Contrived Observation:

Answer 22

• Artificially introducing a variable of interest and observing what happens

Question 23

Descriptive Statistics:

Answer 23

Statistics that describe or summarize quantitative data in a meaningful way

Question 24

Categorical Variable:

Answer 24

Way to classify data into distinct categories

Question 25

Frequency Distribution:

Answer 25

Summary of how often the individual values for a variable occur

Question 26

Continuous Variable:

Answer 26

Variable with an infinite number of different values between 2 given points

Question 27

Central Tendency:

Answer 27

Value that best represents all of the other values for a particular variable

Question 28

Cohen’s kappa Coefficient:

Answer 28

Statistical measure of inter-observer agreement between 2 observers for categorical items