Observational Techniques Flashcards
What are the types of observations
-covert, overt, participant, non-participant, naturalistic, controlled
What is covert observation
participants don’t know they are being studied
What is overt observation
participants know they are being studied
What is participant observation
Researcher takes active part in observation
What is non-participant observation
Researcher watches from afar and doesn’t play active role in investigation
What is naturalistic observation
carried out in participant’s natural enviornment
What is controlled observation
carried out under lab style conditions
What is structured observation
carried out by researcher who uses behaviour categories to organise their work
What sampling is used in structured observation
event and time sampling
What is unstructured observations
carried out by researcher who has no system to record their observations. simply record all behaviours seen
What is event sampling
observer decides in advance what types of behaviour interested in and records all occurrences. other behaviour ignored
What is time sampling
recording behaviour within pre-established time frame
How can we compare results?
Inter-observer reliability
What is inter-observer reliability?
How well different observers agree with each other
What are some strengths of observational studies in general?
-high validity(record what do rather what they say they do)
-captures spontaneous behaviour
What are some limitations of observational studies in general?
-Observer bias
-only observable behaviour not what they feeling
What are some strengths of naturalistic observations?
-gives realistic picture of spontaneous behaviour
-high ecological validity
What are some limitations of naturalistic observations?
Little control of all other things happening, something unknown to observer may effect behaviour
What are some strenghts of controlled observations?
Observer can focus on particular aspects of behaviour
What are some limitations of controlled observations?
-environment feels unnatural + participants behaviour may be less natural as result
What are some strengths of overt observations?
-more ethical, informed consent
What are some limitations of overt observations?
-aware being studies may effect naturalness of behaviour - demand characteristics
What are some strengths of covert observations?
-behaviour more natural
What are some limitations of covert observations?
-ethical issues, participants don’t give consent
What are some strengths of participant observations?
-provides special insights into behaviour from “inside” that may not otherwise be gained
What are some limitations of participation observations?
-likely to be overt
What are some strengths of non-participant observations?
-observers likely to be more objective bc not part of group being observed
What are some limitations of non-participant observations?
-more likely to be covert and have ethical issues
What are some strengths of structured observations?
-objective and rigorous
What are some limitations of structured observations?
-have to decide how behaviours are categorised
-may miss behaviour
What are some strengths of unstructured observations?
More accurate behaviour measured at time
What are some limitations of unstructured observations?
Miss behaviour within time intervals
