Observational Design Flashcards
how can the range and variety of what is being seen be made manageable?
most observers make use of a set of behavioral categories, recording the frequency with which each type of behavior is exhibited.
Decisions about which behavioral categories to use depend on
the hypothesis
After behavioral categories have been identified, they have to be
organised - they have to be defined as unambiguous as possible
In reality there will be some interruption of behavior when the researcher
applies the categories to the behavior.
Event sampling
counting the number of times a certain behavior occurs in a group/displayed by an individual
Time sampling
recording behaviors in a given time
it is important in terms of reliability that
observers working on the research are applying the categories in the same way
observers need
training to gain consistency of measurement
reliability can be assessed by asking
two or more observers to produce records at the same time
by asking two or more observers to produce records, these can be
correlated for a measure of inter-rater reliability
observer reliability is achieved if
highly significant positive correlations are obtained between the scores
independent checks for reliability can often be made easier by the use of
audio taping or video taping
validity of the observation categories may be checked against other forms of evidence - eg
observations of aggression in children may be checked against the ratings given by independently by the teachers
