OBSERVATIONS Flashcards
whats EVENT SAMPLING
The observer keeps a count of each time a particular behave occurs through the observation.
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESS OF EVENT SAMPLING
+More likely that behaviour won’t be missed out as it’s recording behaviour continuously the whole observation unlike time sampling therefore making the study more reliable and valid
-Observer may miss some observations if too many things happen at once.
whats Participant Observation
This is where the observer participates which may affect objectivity but it allows for a more covert operation.
S + W OF Ps OBSERVATION
+Likely to provide special insights into behaviour from the ‘inside’
-Objectivity may be reduced
S + W of structured observation
-Enables systematic observations so important information is not overlooked. -Categories may not cover all possibilities and so some behaviours may not be recorded
ones s + one w of observations
+LOW D.C IF P ARE UNAWARE OF BEING OBSERVED
+HIGH E.V
+What people say they do is often not what they actually do? Therefore observations give a different take on behaviour
+A means of conducting preliminary investigations in a new area of research to produce hypotheses for future investigations
+Able to capture spontaneous and unexpected behaviour.
+ -Observer bias
-Poorly designed behaviour checklist reduces reliability
-If covert then there are ethical problems such as deception
-Observations cannot provide information about what people think or feel.
-DIFFICULT TO REPLICATE
-NO C + E AS NO VARIABLES MANUPILATED
-LACK OF CONTROL OVER VARIABLES
how increasing reliability in observation
In observation, reliability is increased via “Inter-rater reliability”. That is, when two or more people are coding the same behaviour, and then they compare answers. We can increase this further by only using professionals and reviewing the checklist to see if categories are unclear
how increasing validity in observations
The main issue is observer bias. This reduces the objectivity and validity of observations. We can improve this by using more than one observer and averaging data across observers to balance out any biases. It can also be improved by keeping observers in the dark so that they cannot possibly force their opinions onto the observation.
natural observation
Behaviour is observed and recorded in its natural setting and there is no deliberate manipulation of variables. No attempt is made by the investigator to influence the behaviour being observed. It
