observational techniques

Question 1

observations

Answer 1

observations provide psychologists with a way of assessing participants behaviour without having to ask them. It involves the researcher watching and recording participants engaging in whatever behaviour is being studied

Question 2

controlled observation

Answer 2

this involves the researcher watching and recording behaviour within a structured environment
this affords the opportunity for control over the extraneous variables

Question 3

naturalistic observation

Answer 3

this involves the researcher watching and recording behaviour in a setting/context where the target behaviour would usually occur

all aspects of the environment are free to vary

Question 4

overt observations

Answer 4

this is where the observer is clearly visible, not hidden from view and people being observed know that they are being observed

there is an implication that if the child, parent and observer are in the same room then the person being observed know this, however it has to be explicitly stated

Question 5

covert observations

Answer 5

this is where participant’s behaviour is watched and recorded without their knowledge or consent

this could involve observing someone through a two-way mirror or by recording behaviour through a hidden camera

Question 6

participant observation

Answer 6

this involves the researcher becoming a member of the group who behaviour they are watching and recording

Question 7

non-participant observation

Answer 7

the researcher remains outside of the group whose behaviour they are watching and recording

Question 8

controlled observation strength

Answer 8

high internal validity as they have high control over extraneous variables, this allows for greater inference about cause and effect

Question 9

controlled observation limitation

Answer 9

low ecological validity due to artificial environment in which the observation takes place which may result in participants behaving unnaturally

Question 10

naturalistic observation strength

Answer 10

high ecological validity as the behaviour is studied within the environment it would normally occur, so it is likely to be more natural

Question 11

naturalistic observation limitation

Answer 11

low internal validity as there is loss of control over extraneous variables, these make it more difficult to judge any pattern of behaviour within an observation

Question 12

overt observation strength

Answer 12

overt observations are more ethical than covert observations as participants have consented to being observed

Question 13

overt observation strength

Answer 13

observer effect would be a problem as participants would behave differently because they are aware that they are being observed, if they know they are being observed they may also be more likely to figure out the aim of the study

Question 14

covert observation strength

Answer 14

observer effect and demand characteristics would not be a problem as participants are unaware that they are being observed so their behaviour would not change

Question 15

covert observation limitation

Answer 15

the ethics of this has to be questioned as if they are unaware they are a part of an observation they are being deceived, they can’t give informed consent and in turn are unlikely to be aware of their right to withdraw

Question 16

participant observation strength

Answer 16

the researcher experiences the situation as the participants do so they have more of an understanding of the behaviour being studied

Question 17

participant observation limitation

Answer 17

when the researcher becomes to involved they may lose objectivity and become bias, there is a danger that researchers will “see” what they expect to see

Question 18

non-participant observation strength

Answer 18

the researcher remains an objective distance from their participants, they are much more likely to note everything they observe, reducing the influence of investigator effects

Question 19

non-participant observation limitation

Answer 19

lose the valuable insight gained in participant observation as they are too far removed from the people and behaviour they are studying

Question 20

unstructured observation

Answer 20

involves continuous recording of behaviour, so the researcher writing down everything they see

Question 21

structured observation

Answer 21

the researcher uses a pre-determined list of behaviours and sampling methods

Question 22

behavioural categories

Answer 22

in order to structure what it recorded, researchers need to clearly define target behaviours

effective categories should be precisely defined, observable, measurable and not overlap in order to ensure two observers interpret them in the same way