Observational studies Flashcards
what are the types of observation
1) naturalistic vs controlled
2) overt vs covert
3) participant vs non-participant
what are naturalistic observations
an observation carried out in an everyday setting in which the observer doesn’t interfere in any way just merely looks at behaviours
what are controlled observations
a form of observation in which behaviour is observed but under conditions where certain variables have been organised by the researcher
what are overt observations
observational studies in which the pps are aware their behaviours are being studied
what are covert observations
observational studies in which the pps behaviour is being studied without their knowlege
what are participant observations
observations made by someone who is also participating in the study
what are non-participant studies
the observer is separate to the individuals being observed
evaluate naturalistic vs controlled observations
+ naturalistic provides a realistic picture of spontaneous behaviour so has high ecological validity
+ controlled allows focus on a certain aspect of behaviour
- naturalistic has little control over all other things meaning an unknown event could be the cause of behaviour observed
- controlled environment feels artificial so behaviour may differ
evaluate overt vs covert observations
+ covert observations pps are unaware of observation and thus behaviour is more natural
- overt= pps aware they are being studied so pps may respond to demand characteristics affecting behaviour
- covert= pps cant give informed consent, although it may be possible to gain retrospective consent
evaluate participant vs non-participant observations
+ pps= provides special insight into the behavior from the inside which otherwise may not be gained
+ non= observers are likely to be more objective
- pps= more likely to be overt and thus have issues of pps awareness such as demand characteristics or social desirability
- non= more likely to be covert, ethical issues
what is a weakness of observations
- observer bias
- only observable data is collected not data about thoughts or feelings
what is a strength of using observations
+ high validity= record what people actually do, not what they say they do
+ capture spontaneous or unexpected behavior
what is observer bias
when the expectations of the observer affect what they see or hear. This reduces that validity of the study
what are types of observational design
1) unstructured observations
2) structured observations
3) behavioral categories
4) sampling procedures
define structured vs unstructured observations
1) researchers use various systems to organize observations, such as behavioral categories and sampling procedures
2) researcher records all relevant behaviors but has no system
