observational designs

Question 1

observer bias

Answer 1

Observer bias happens when a researcher’s expectations, opinions, or prejudices influence what they perceive or record in a study.

Question 2

behavioral categories

Answer 2

when a target behavior is broken down into components that are observable and measurable
-there should be no need to infer
-researchers must include all the ways in which the target behavior may occur within their behavior checklist

Question 3

sampling methods (methods to record behavior)

Answer 3

event sampling and time sampling

Question 4

event sampling

Answer 4

this involves counting the number of times a particular behavior is carried out by the target group or individuals researchers are watching

Question 5

event sampling strength

Answer 5

its good for infrequent behaviours that are likely to be missed if time sampling was used

Question 6

event sampling weakness

Answer 6

if complex behaviours is being observed important details of the behaviour may be overlooked by the observer

Question 7

time sampling

Answer 7

involves recording behaviour within a pre-established time frame

Question 8

how is time sampling carried out

Answer 8

e.g the researcher will set a regular time interval of 30 seconds where they record the behaviour for 30 secs and continue to do this until the observation is complete
-the researchers will then watch the recordings and make note of all the behaviours that align with the behavioural category

Question 9

when is time sampling most suitable

Answer 9

when there are multiple behaviours that the researcher wants to observe
and when these behaviours happen very frequently

Question 10

time sampling strength

Answer 10

-reduces the number of observations that need to be made=recordings can be watched back repeatedly
-most appropriate for recording ongoing behaviours that are likely to occur in a social setting e.g conversations,playing together

Question 11

time sampling weakness

Answer 11

-the small amount of data collected within a time frame may be be unrepresentative of the observation as a whole

Question 12

unstructured observations

Answer 12

consists of continuous recording, where the researchers write down everything they see during the observation

Question 13

strength of unstructured observation

Answer 13

-more richness and depth of detail=qualitative data produced

Question 14

weakness of unstructured observations

Answer 14

-produces qualitative data which is more difficult to record and analyse
-greater risk of observer bias e.g only record eye catching behaviour

Question 15

structured observations

Answer 15

where the researcher quantifies what they are observing using a predetermined list of behaviours and sampling methods

Question 16

strength of structured observation

Answer 16

-easier to conducted as it is more systematic
-qualitative data is collected which is easier to analyse and compare with other data
-there is less risk of observer bias

Question 17

weakness of structed observation

Answer 17

-not much depth of detail
-difficult to achieve high inter observer reliability as filling the predetermined list in is subjective

Question 18

inter-observer reliability

Answer 18

measures the degree of agreement between different people observing the same thing

Question 19

what happens if researchers conduct observations alone

Answer 19

single observers may miss important details or may only notice events that confirms their opinions or hypothesis =introduces bias into the research

Question 20

how to increase inter-observer reliability

Answer 20

-observations should be carried out by two researchers
-these observers must familiarize themselves with the behavioural categories being used
-the researchers could conduct a pilot study and observe the same behaviours at the same time
-the observers should measure inter observer reliability by using a correlation