Observational design

Question 1

Event sampling

Answer 1

. Target behaviour/event recorded every time occurs
+ Useful for infrequent behaviour -> Researcher still picks up behaviours that don’t occur at regular intervals -> Such behaviours could easily be missed using time sampling
- Complex behaviour oversimplified -> Important details may go unrecorded if event too complex -> affect validity

Question 1

Behavioural categories

Answer 1

. Target behaviour observed should be broken up into set of observable categories similar to operationalisation
- Difficult to make clear & unambiguous -> Categories should be self evident, not overlap, not always possible
- Dustbin categories -> ‘dumped’ behaviours go unrecorded

Question 2

Time sampling

Answer 2

. Obs made at regular intervals
+ Reduces no. of variations -> Obs more structured & systematic
- Unrepresentative -> Researcher may miss important details outside of timescale -> Not reflect whole behaviour