Observational Design

Question 1

What is inter-observer reliability?

Answer 1

The consistency of the data recorded by the two+ observers

Question 2

How is inter-observer reliability used?

Answer 2

• Observers should use same behavioural categories
• Observe the same behaviour at the same time, making individual observations
• Observations compared
• Checked for correlations (+0.8 is a reasonable degree of accuracy)

Question 3

Unstructured observations

Answer 3

Where the researcher writes down everything they see

Question 4

Structured observations

Answer 4

Using behavioural categories to record observations systematically

Question 5

What are behavioural categories?

Answer 5

Where a target behaviour is broken up into components that are observable, measurable and exclusive (operationalised)

Question 6

Event sampling

Answer 6

Where target behaviour is established and recorded every time the behaviour occurs

Question 7

Time sampling

Answer 7

Where a target group is established and behaviour is recorded in a fixed time frame (eg. Every 60s)

Question 8

Evaluation of structured observations

Answer 8

• Data is more likely to be quantitative (easy comparison)
• Data isn’t as rich

Question 9

Evaluation of unstructured observations

Answer 9

• Rich data
• Qualitative data is difficult to record and analyse
• Observer bias

Question 10

Evaluation of event sampling

Answer 10

• Useful when target behaviour happens infrequently
• If event is too complex, observer may overlook it

Question 11

Evaluation of time sampling

Answer 11

• Reduces number of observations having to be made
• Unrepresentative