observational design Flashcards
1
Q
what does an unstructured observation involve ?
A
- write down everything you see
2
Q
what does a structured observation involve ?
A
- pre-determined list of behaviours and sampling methods
3
Q
what are behavioural categories ?
A
- specific behaviours that the observer is interested in need to be clearly defined (operationalised )
- they need to be broken down into behaviour categories using for example a tally chart
4
Q
sampling methods:
what is meant by continuous recording ?
A
- all behaviours are recorded
5
Q
when are continuous recordings mostly used ?
A
- mostly used in unstructured observations
6
Q
what happens in event sampling ?
A
- count the number of times a specific behaviour occurs
7
Q
what happens in time sampling ?
A
- record behaviour in a pre-determined time frame
8
Q
what kind of sampling did Ainsworth use in the strange situation study ?
A
- time sampling
- 3 minute time frame for 8 episodes
- event sampling using a tally chart
9
Q
what happens in inter- observer reliability ?
A
- when 2 observers familiarise themselves with the behaviour categories
- then they observe the same behaviour
- then they compare the data they have recorded
10
Q
what is an advantage to inter-observer reliability ?
A
- it is more objective
- reduces bias
11
Q
how is inter-observer reliability calculated ?
A
- it is calculated by carrying out a statistical analysis of the correlation on each set of data
- looking for a positive correlation (co-efficient +0.8 )
12
Q
AO3
behavioural categories must be clearly defined
A
- they must be observable, measurable and self-evident
- should not require further interpretation
13
Q
AO3
categories should be exclusive and not overlap
A
- difference between smiling and grinning is hard to distinguish between and not specific enough
14
Q
AO3
event sampling is useful
A
- when the target behaviour or event happens quite infrequently it could be missed if time sampling was used
15
Q
AO3
time sampling strength
A
- effective in reducing the number of observations that have to be made
16
Q
AO3
time sampling limitation
A
- those instances when behaviour is sampled might be unrepresentative of the observation as a whole
- behaviour could have occurred after a longer amount of time
17
Q
AO3
strength of behaviour categories ?
A
- can make data collection more structured and objective
