observations Flashcards
What is a naturalistic observation?
it is conducted in the context where the behaviour would typically be seen
naturalistic observation
evaluation
+ strong ecological validity as non artificial task
- lack of control low internal validity / replicability
what is a controlled observation?
behaviour is observed within a structured environment
evaluation of controlled observation
+ control increases internal validity knowing iv=dv
- artificial task > lack ecological validity > less generalisable
What is a covert observation?
Where participants are unaware they are being observed
What is an overt observation?
where participants are aware they are being studied
covert observation evaluation
+no demand charactersitics > increases internal validity
- lacking informed consent (ethical issues)
overt observation evaluation
+ethical as gained consent
- demand characteristics may influence
what is participant observation?
where the observer acts as though they are part of the group
participant observation evaluation
+ more valuable insight from ppt perspective increasing validity
- danger to the researcher / may lose objectivity and ‘go native
what is a non- participant observation?
where the observer watches from outside the group
non participant observation evaluation
+ less risk of bias as researcher detached unable to influence
- loss of that personal insight from ppt perspective
what is a behavioural catergory?
where a target behavipur is broken up to components that are observable and measurable > operationalise behavioural catergories
What does a behavioural category allow for?
Allow observers to tally observations into pre- arranged groupings
Strengths of behavioural categories
- Provides a clear focus for the researcher
- Categorisation allows for proposal of a testable hypothesis
- Enables greater reliability
- Provides data that is easy to quantify and analyse
what is inter observer reliability?
Where multiple observers are used to remove bias and make it more subjective
what must observers be trained in?
- familiarise themselves with the behavioural catergories
- can observe behaviours at the same time
- compare the data they have recorda and discuss differences
What is a structured observation?
simplifies the target behaviour to the act that is specifically defined
* allows researcher to quantify data using a predetermined list of beahviours
what is an unstructured observation?
researcher writes down everything they notice
* produces accounts of behaviour rich in detail
* may be appropriate for smaller scale research
structured observation evaluation
+ when using behavioural catergories makes data record easier and more systematic
+ produces numerical and quantifiable so comparisons easier to make
unstructured observation evaluation
+ more depth and rich detail of data
- qualitative data harder to analyse
- possibility of bias as behavioural catergories not present
What are the two types of data sampling techniques?
- time
- event
What is time sampling?
involves recording the behaviour within a pre-established time frame e.g every 60 seconds
What is event sampling ?
counting the number of times a behaviour occurs every time that it occurs
time sampling evaluation
+ easier to manage
+ appropriate over long periods of time where things unlikely to change
- not appropriate for dynamic behaviours / behaviours could be missed not being - representative
event sampling evaluation
+ not missing data points
+ large target
- highly time and eddort - risk of missing things if too much on at once
