observational design

Question 1

unstructured observation

Answer 1

researcher writes down everything they see, producing rich data, suitable for small scale observations with few participants

Question 2

continuous recording

Answer 2

all instances of target behaviour recorded (a key feauture of unstructured observations)

Question 3

structured observation

Answer 3

researcher quantifies observations using a pre-determined list of behaviour and sampling methods

Question 4

behavioural categories

Answer 4

target behaviour is broken up into observable and measurable components

Question 5

event sampling

Answer 5

counting the number of times a target behaviour occurs in a target individual/group

Question 6

time sampling

Answer 6

recording behaviour within a pre-established time frame (e.g. every 5 mins)

Question 7

unstructured observation- strengths

Answer 7

more richness and depth of detail in data collected

Question 8

unstructured observation- weaknesses

Answer 8

• greater observer bias as objective behavioural categories not present, may only record behaviours that ‘catch their eye’ which aren’t most important/useful
• tend to produce qualitative data which may be more difficult to record and analyse

Question 9

structured observation- strengths

Answer 9

• behavioural categories make recording of data easier and more systematic
• likely produces quantitative data, analysing and comparing behaviour observed between participants more straightforward

Question 10

structured observation- weaknesses

Answer 10

less depth of detail in data collected

Question 11

behavioural categories- notes

Answer 11

• as clear and unambiguous as possible. observable, measurable and self-evident. shouldn’t require further interpretation.
• all possible forms of target behaviour included in checklist. no ‘dustbin category’ where many diff behaviours deposited.
• exclusive categories that don’t overlap

Question 12

event sampling- strengths

Answer 12

useful when target behaviour/event happens infrequently and could be missed if time sampling used

Question 13

event sampling- weaknesses

Answer 13

if specified event too complex, observer may overlook important details

Question 14

time sampling- strengths

Answer 14

effective in reducing number of observations that have to be made

Question 15

time sampling- weaknesses

Answer 15

the instances when behaviour is sampled may be unrepresentative of observation as a whole

Question 16

observer bias

Answer 16

researchers should not conduct observational studies alone as single observers may miss important details/only notice events that confirm opinions or hypothesis (bias)

Question 17

inter-observer reliability

Answer 17

• observations should be carried out by at least two researchers
• makes data recording more objective and unbiased

Question 18

inter-observer reliability method

Answer 18

1. both familiarise themselves with behavioural categories
2. observe same behaviour at same time (small-scale pilot study)
3. compare data, discuss differences in interpretations
4. analyse data. IOR calculated by correlating each pair of observations made and an overall figure is produced.