Observational design

Question 1

What does observational research involve?

Answer 1

involves watching and recording behaviour that is relevant to a particular research aim.

Question 2

Describe behavioural categories

Answer 2

Breaking up behaviour into observable and measurable components. They must be operationalised e.g. “affection” could be broken down into kissing, hugging, smiling, holding hands etc.

Question 3

What are the 2 types of sampling behaviour?

Answer 3

Event sampling

Time sampling

Question 4

What is event sampling?

Answer 4

Counting how many times a behaviour occurs e.g. tallying

Question 5

What is time sampling?

Answer 5

Recording behaviour in a particular time frame e.g. every 5 minutes

Question 6

Give a weakness or behavioural categories

Answer 6

They may not cover every behaviour and may still be difficult to differentiate between

Question 7

Give a strength of event sampling

Answer 7

Useful if the behaviour is infrequent as may be missed in time sampling

Question 8

Give a weakness of event sampling

Answer 8

May be too much to look for in only one event

Question 9

Give a strength of time sampling

Answer 9

Less observations to be made

Question 10

Give a weakness of time sampling

Answer 10

Less observations to be made but may miss important behaviours between the times being sampled

Question 11

List different ways of recording data

Answer 11

Written notes - detailed description of what is being observed (qualitative)
Tally charts/checklists - behavioural categories are developed
Rating scales - indicates the degree to which a behaviour is shown (quantitative)