Observational Techniques Flashcards
What are observations
involve watching and recording behaviour
are naturalistic but can occur in controlled conditions
What are the advantages of observations
often have high external validity as they occur in natural setting and Pp behave naturally
practical method to use where deliberate manipulation of variables would be unethical/impractical
useful when studying animals and children
What are the disadvantages of observations
may be difficult to study the cause and effect properly as variables are not manipulated, only observed
may be observer bias where the observers see what they want to see
lack of control over variables reduced reliability and it can be difficult to categorise behaviour accurately
What are the 6 types of observations
Naturalistic
Controlled
Participant
Non-participant
Overt
Covert
What are controlled observations
behaviour is observed in a structured setting.
a task of situation is set up for Pp making it an artificial setting rather than naturalistic
may be a videotape or one way mirror to gather data
observation schedule is created
Evaluate controlled observations
highly controlled in a lab setting so extraneous variables can be controlled/eliminated which makes it high in reliability as they can be replicated
HOWEVER
due to the staged situation, natural behaviour is not measured in a realistic way which limits the generalisability of the findings to real life situations
What are Naturalistic observations
takes place in the Pp natural setting/environment rather than an artificial one
no manipulation of the variables or environment from the observer
Evaluate Naturalistic observations
high in validity as they take place in a natural environment and observe Pp naturally occurring behaviour, making it a true representation of a Pp real behaviour
HOWEVER
hard to control extraneous variables as they take place in a Pp natural environment so this lowers reliability as they are harder to replicate successfully
What are Participant observations
the observer becomes part of the situation and becomes a participant in the observation by participating in what is going on
- Pp not always aware that the observer is apart of them
Evaluate Participant observations
gathers valid data as the setting is natural as well as the behaviour; as the observer is involved they will be able to observe things that non-participant observations may miss so they have access to additional data
HOWEVER
observes may become too involved in the situation, that they are not able to step back and make observations; leads their work to either lack required detail or become biased from their subjective comments
What are Non-participant observations
observer is not apart of the situation and observes what is going on from an outsider point of view
Evaluate Non-participant observations
recording data is easier as observer can make notes throughout the observation; can also remain objective as they are not part of the group making results more valid
HOWEVER
can have low validity as the presence of observer may make Pp behaviour unnatural, leading to demand characteristics
What are Overt observations
when Pp are aware they are being observed
Evaluate Overt observations
more ethical as the observer does not have to deceive Pp and can follow specific individuals without being disguised
HOWEVER
as Pp know they are being observed it may cause them to act unnatural/accordingly which produces demand characteristics, decreasing the validity of data collected
What are Covert observations
Pp are unaware that they are being observed
