Observational Techniques Flashcards
What’s an observation?
A way of collecting data (information) on people’s behaviour. Can be used to gather own information or can be used as PART of an experiment (lab, field, natural, quasi)
What are the 6 observational techniques?
Naturalistic, controlled, overt, covert, participant, non-participant
What is naturalistic observation?
watching and recording behaviour in the setting which it would normally occur
What is naturalistic observation?
watching and recording behaviour in the setting which it would normally occur
What is a strength of naturalistic observations?
high external validity as the behaviour is studied within the environment where it would normally occur
What is a weakness of naturalistic observations?
low reliability- lack of control over the research situation makes replication of the investigation difficult. There may also be many uncontrolled extraneous variables
What is controlled observation?
watching and recording behaviour within a structured environment ie one where some variables are managed
What is a strength of controlled observations?
high reliability- extraneous variables may be less of a factor so replication of the observation becomes easier
What is a weakness of controlled observations?
low external validity- may produce findings that cannot be as readily applied to real-life settings
What is covert observation?
Participants behaviour is watched and recorded without their knowledge or consent- under cover
What is a strength of covert observation?
less prone to demand characteristics- the fact that participants do not know they are being watched removes the problem if participant reactivity and ensures any behaviour is natural and increases the validity of the data
What is a weakness of covert observation?
less ethical;y appropriate- the ethics of these studies may be questioned as people may not wish to be observed
What is overt observation?
participants behaviour is watched and recorded with their knowledge and consent- open observation
What is a strength of overt observation?
more ethically acceptable- p’s can give consent
What is a weakness of overt observation?
demand characteristics- the knowledge participants have that they have are being observed may act as a significant influence on their behaviour
What is participant observation?
the researcher becomes a member of the group whose behaviour he/she is watching and recording
What is a strength of participant observation?
the researcher can experience the situation as the participants do- giving them increased insight into the lives of the people being studied therefore increasing the validity of the findings
What is a weakness of participant observation?
researcher bias- the researcher may come to identify too strongly with those they are studying and lose objectivity
What is non-participant observation?
the researcher remains outside of the group whose behaviour he/she is watching and recording
What is a strength of non-participant observation?
allows the researcher to maintain an objective psychological distance from their participants so there is less danger of them ‘going native’
What is a weakness of non-participant observation?
