Non Experimental Methods

Question 1

Systematic Observation

Answer 1

Observing a few behaviours in a specific setting.
(More structured and less global than naturalistic observation)
(Observations are typically quantifiable, reduced to numbers)

Question 2

Should the researcher be concealed or not?

Answer 2

Not concealed - subjects may change their behaviour (reactivity) and this will disrupt the external validity of your observations CONCEALED MAY BE PREFERABLE
HOWEVER, what are the ethical implications of being concealed?
If you are not concealed you will want your subjects to habituate to your presence.

Question 3

Ethical issues with being concealed during naturalistic observation

Answer 3

1. The participants are putting themselves in a public place where they could be observed
2. The observer should not directly influence the participants behaviour
3. The identity of the participant is kept confidential

Question 4

Disadvantages of being concealed during naturalistic observation

Answer 4

1) people may behave differently if they know that they are being observed
2) the experimenter has no control (they are descriptive methods; you can only speculate as to the causes of behaviour, you cannot make causal statements)
3) they can be very time consuming
4) data interpretation can be difficult

Question 5

Advantages

Answer 5

1) can observe behaviour as it occurs in the natural environment
2) if properly conducted it has extremely high external validity

Question 6

Case study

Answer 6

A descriptive technique where one subject is studied in depth. It is typically conducted when the individual possess a rare or unusual condition (so that more can be learned about their condition.)

Question 7

Advantages of case studies

Answer 7

Can provide us with a great deal of information regarding a particular condition.

Question 8

Disadvantages of case studies

Answer 8

1. They are very time consuming

2. Only descriptive. Cannot determine the cause of observed behaviour

Question 9

Archival Research

Answer 9

Researcher analyzes existing data. Do not collect original data.

Question 10

Advantage of Archival Research

Answer 10

Valuable as a supplement to traditional data collection methods

Question 11

Disadvantages of Archival Research

Answer 11

1. you may have difficulty obtaining needed records
2. you can’t be sure of the accuracy of info collected by someone else
3. it is completely descriptive so you cannot establish causal relationships

Question 12

Naturalistic Observation

Answer 12

Observing subjects in their natural environment without controlling or manipulating variables. Only descriptive.
(Observers are typically qualitative. Words, concepts… )