Observations Flashcards
what are behavioural categories?
clearly defined behaviours that have been identified, arranged on a list and tallied every time that behaviour occurs
what are coding frames?
codes and abbreviations that can be used to record the severity of behaviours or a different sub-type within a category
allow for more specific behaviours to be observed within a behavioural category
what are pros and cons of behavioural categories and coding frames?
pro: enables systematic observations to be made so no important information is overlooked
con: categories may not cover all possibilities so some behaviours may not be recorded (low validity)
con: poorly designed coding frames reduce reliability (and validity)
what is event sampling?
a list of behavioural categories is drawn up and every time a behaviour occurs in a specified time period is counted
what is time sampling?
recording behaviours at regular intervals (e.g. every 5mins) or taking a sample at different times of the day or month
what are pros of event sampling and time sampling?
- both make the task of observing more manageable because not everything has to be recorded
- event sampling is useful when behaviour to be recorded only happens occasionally (missing events would reduce validity)
- time sampling allows for tracking of time-related changes in behaviour
what are cons of event sampling and time sampling?
- observer may miss some observations if too many things happen at once, reducing validity
- observations may not be representative
- time sampling may decrease validity because some behaviours are inevitably missed as important behaviour may occur outside the observation interval
what are controlled and naturalistic observations?
controlled: some variables are manipulated by the researcher
naturalistic: everything left as usual
what are pros and cons of controlled observations?
pro: controlled environment allows focus on particular aspects of behaviour
con: environment may feel unnatural leading to demand characteristics - may lack validity
what are pros and cons of naturalistic observations?
pro: realistic picture of natural, spontaneous behaviour - high ecological validity
con: little control of extraneous variables
con: may know they are being observed (demand characteristics)
what are participant and non-participant observations?
participant: observer is a participant in the behaviour being observed
non-participant: observer is not a participant in behaviour observed
what are pros and cons of participant observations?
pro: likely to provide special insights into behaviour
pro: able to monitor and record behaviour in close detail
con: objectivity reduced (observer bias)
con: more difficult to record and monitor behaviour unobtrusively if the observer is part of the group being observed
what are the pros and cons of non-participant observations?
pro: increased objectivity because of a psychological and physical distance
con: observer may misinterpret communications within the group when they are an outsider (reduced validity)
