Observations Flashcards
What are the strengths and weaknesses are there in structured observations?
✅Operational definitions can be developed in a pilot study before the actual data collection begins to include certain factors, which improves validity
✅operationally defined behavioural categories agreed between observers are likely to be much more reliable
⛔️simple definitions of behaviour may not show the full meaning
⛔️handwritten notes are subjective as they are based on an observers personal perspective
What are the strengths and weaknesses of observations?
✅Participants involved in the observations may benefit from gaining insight into emotions and motives for certain actions,which makes data much more valid
✅in naturalistic settings and with covert observers the behaviour is much more likely to be representative
⛔️participant observers may be biased if they become involved in their own observations due to the results that they will want
⛔️ethical issues arise when participants are unaware that they are being observed
What are the strengths and weakness’ of participant observations?
✅Being involved in social groups means the observers get a much greater insight into emotions and motives for participants actions
✅participants will be much more likely to act normally without realising the presence of an observer which increases the validity
⛔️it’s difficult to record the groups activities when you yourself are engaged I’m them, especially in a covert observation
⛔️being in the group can make the observer very subjective
Where are the strengths and weaknesses of event sampling?
✅It can record every occurrence of each behaviour to give a complete record
✅records are easy to obtain and analyse as they are just totals
⛔️it gives no indication of the relative time spent on each category
⛔️it gives no indication of the order in which events from each behavioural category occur
What are the strengths and weaknesses of time sampling?
✅It can give an indiction to the relative amount of time spent on each behavioural category
✅it can give an indiction to the order in which events happen
⛔️records are more difficult to obtain as timings have to be exactly right and accurate
⛔️it as difficult to record as many different behaviours in time sampling as event stamping can
What are behavioural categories?
They are the operationally defined units of events used in structured observations to break a continuous stream of activity
What are disclosed/un-disclosed observations? What are the strengths and weaknesses of them?
Covert observation- is research where participants are unaware that they are being observed
✅means much more naturalistic/realistic behaviour and reduces demand characteristics
⛔️can bring up ethical issues
Over observation- is research where the role of the observer is known by the participants and they know they’re being watched
✅observers may benefit more from being involved in a social experience by gaining insights into emotions or motivations felt by participants, which also means that it becomes more valid
⛔️there is a high chance of demand characteristics, making it less valid
What is inter-rate reliability ?
It is the extent to which two researchers will interpret and therefore score the same response in the same reasonses in the same way
