*Observational Design Flashcards
What is unstructured observation?
A method where the researcher writes down everything they see, producing rich accounts in detail
Appropriate for small observations with few participants.
What is a structured observation?
An observation that simplifies target behaviors using behavioral categories
Necessary when there is too much happening to record everything.
Define behavioral categories.
Defined, observable, and measurable target behaviors used to produce a structured record
Examples include hugging, kissing, touching, holding hands.
What is continuous recording in unstructured observations?
Recording all instances of the target behavior
May not be possible for complex behaviors.
What is event sampling?
Counting the number of times a particular behavior occurs
Useful for tracking infrequent behaviors.
What is time sampling?
Recording behavior within a predetermined time frame
For example, recording a player’s activity every 30 minutes during a football match.
List the strengths of structured observations.
- Involve behavioral categories
- Make recording data easy and systematic
- Produce numerical data for easier analysis and comparison
Structured observations provide a systematic approach.
What are the limitations of unstructured observations?
Tend to produce qualitative data that is more difficult to record and analyze
Less systematic than structured observations.
What are the strengths of unstructured observations?
- Provide more depth and detail in data
- Allow flexibility in what is recorded
Greater risk of observer bias due to lack of objective categories.
What are the strengths of behavioral categories?
- More structured data collection
- More objective data collection
Helps reduce subjective biases.
List the limitations of behavioral categories.
- May require further interpretation
- Target behaviors might not be included
- Categories can overlap
- Categories may not be exclusive
These issues can complicate data analysis.
What are the strengths of event sampling?
Useful for infrequent behaviors and time-effective in reducing the number of observations needed
Helps ensure that rare behaviors are recorded.
What are the limitations of event sampling?
Observer may overlook important details if the behavior is too complex
Event sampling may miss nuances of behavior.
What is a limitation of time sampling?
Instances when the behavior is sampled may be unrepresentative as a whole
May not capture the full range of behavior.
