Observational techniques

Question 1

What is a naturalistic observation?

Answer 1

Watching and recording behaviour in the setting within which it would normally occur

Question 2

What is a controlled observation?

Answer 2

Watching and recording behaviour within a structed enviroment, i.e. One where some variables are managed

Question 3

What is an overt observation?

Answer 3

Participants behaviour is watched and recorded with their knowledge and consent

Question 4

What is a covert observation?

Answer 4

Participants behaviour is watched and recorded without their knowledge or consent

Question 5

What is a participant observation?

Answer 5

The researcher becomes a member of the group whose behaviour he/she is watching and recording

Question 6

What is a non-participant observation?

Answer 6

The researcher remains outside of the group whose behaviour he/she is watching and recording

Question 7

What is a structured observation?

Answer 7

The researcher uses various systems to organise observations such as sampling technique and behavioural categories

Question 8

What is an unstructured observation?

Answer 8

Every instance of a behaviour is recorded in as much detail as possible. This is useful if the behaviours you are interested in do not occur very often

Question 9

What are behavioural categories?

Answer 9

When a target behaviour is broken up into components that are observable and measurable (operationalisation)

Question 10

What are sampling methods?

Answer 10

Sampling methods are the techniques used to gather a sample of participants that are representative of the target population in a study.

Question 11

What is continuous sampling?

Answer 11

Continuous sampling method is another sampling method that is frequently used to observe behaviour. When using this method, the observer simply records all of the activity that occurs while the animals are being watched. This sampling method is very helpful in recording social interaction between two or more animals in a group.

Question 12

What is time sampling?

Answer 12

A target individual or group is first established then the researcher records their behaviour in a fixed time frame, say every 60 seconds

Question 13

What is event sampling?

Answer 13

A target behaviour or event is first established then the researcher records this event every time it occurs

Question 14

What are 4 strengths of naturalistic observations?

Answer 14

• High external validity
• Can easily be generalised
• Much harder to replicate
• High ecological validty and mundane realism

Question 15

What are 2 weaknesses of naturalistic observations?

Answer 15

• Replication difficult
• Lots of uncontrolled confounding/extraneous
  variables

Question 16

What are 2 strengths of controlled observations?

Answer 16

Because setting is controlled confounding/extraneous variables less of a problem which makes it easier to judge patterns of behaviour

Easy to replicate, so easy to see if findings can be replicated and thus considered reliable

Question 17

What are 3 weaknesses of controlled observations?

Answer 17

• Harder to generalise
• Becuase setting is artificial, the findings may lack
  ecological validity and mundane realism and thus
  may not be valid
• Becuase setting is artificial some types of
  confounding/extraneous variables are more likely
  to affect participant’s behaviour e.g. Demand
  characteristics

Question 18

What is a strength of overt observation?

Answer 18

It is more ethically acceptable

Question 19

What are 2 weaknesses of overt observation?

Answer 19

• Increaded demand characteristics
• Increases social desirability