Observations

Question 1

What is an observation?

Answer 1

Where someone’s behaviour is monitored and recorded based on what is visually seen

Question 2

What is event sampling?

Answer 2

Using a coding scheme to tally events when they occur e.g. whenever they show aggressive behaviours

Question 3

What is continuous sampling

Answer 3

Making notes of everything that is happening

Question 4

What is time sampling?

Answer 4

Recording behaviours every nth time e.g. writing down exactly what they are doing every every 3 minutes

Question 5

What is a coding scheme?

Answer 5

List of behaviours made that you intend to look for

Question 6

What is a covert observation?

Answer 6

Participants do not know they are being observed e.g. using one-way mirrors/CCTV to prevent participant’s awareness

Question 7

What is a strength of participants not knowing they are being observed in a covert observation?

Answer 7

Less chance of demand characteristics so findings will be more valid

Question 8

What is an ethical issue of using covert observation?

Answer 8

No consent from the participant as they do not know they are being observed

Question 9

What is an overt observation?

Answer 9

The participant is aware that they are being observed e.g. they volunteer to be observed or you inform them beforehand

Question 10

What is a strength of overt observations in regards to ethics?

Answer 10

Participants give consent to be observed

Question 11

What is a weakness of participants knowing that they are being observed in an overt observation?

Answer 11

High chance of demand characteristics so lowers validity as participant may try to behave in line with what they think the observer wants to see

Question 12

What is a participant observation?

Answer 12

Observation is conducted by someone who is part of the group being observed e.g. researcher joins the group

Question 13

What is a strength of the researcher joining the group in a participant observation?

Answer 13

Gathers indepth information so findings will be more valid

Question 14

What is a weakness of researchers joining the group in a participant observation?

Answer 14

May be difficult to replicate as we cannot test the findings for reliability

Question 15

What is a non-participant observation?

Answer 15

Observation conducted by someone that is not part of the group they are observing

Question 16

What is a strength of non-participant observation?

Answer 16

There is less bias as the observer can view the situation objectively

Question 17

What is a weakness of non-participant observations?

Answer 17

There may be demand characteristics as the observer may influence the behaviour so findings from the observation may be less valid

Question 18

What is a structured observation?

Answer 18

Where the researcher controls some variables, reducing naturalness of behaviour, observer causes the situation, often taken place in an artificial setting e.g. playroom for children

Question 19

What is a strength of using a structured observation regarding validity?

Answer 19

Variables are controlled so there is less chance of extraneous variables, increasing validity of findings

Question 20

What is a weakness of using a structured observation?

Answer 20

High in demand characteristics as participants know they are being observed so may change their behaviour reducing the validity of findings

Question 21

What is a naturalistic observation?

Answer 21

Observe behaviour in a natural situation so everything happens as it typically would

Question 22

What is one strength of using a naturalistic observation?

Answer 22

High in ecological validity as findings can be applied to real life situations

Question 23

What is one weakness of using a naturalistic observation?

Answer 23

May be more time consuming as the observer has to wait for the behaviour to occur naturally