Observations in Child Psychology Flashcards
What are the two types of observations
Naturalistic and structured
What is different about an observation
Do not directly manipulate the IV
What is a naturalistic observation
Observing behaviour of participants within their own environment
What is different about the environment in a naturalistic rather than structured
Situation not created by researcher so you can gain real insight to person’s behaviour
What are some strengths of a naturalistic observation
It’s familiar to participants so observations are more valid
What are some issues with naturalistic observations
Issues with reliability, take place in natural setting which is hard to replicate
What is a structured observation
Staged observations, normally in environment researcher can control in
Two types of data collection
Qualitative
Quantitative
Example of both types of data in child psychology observations
Qualitative = writing quotes
Quantitative = tallying behaviours in chart
What is important about having your study covert
Must have parental or guardian consent
Parent must know their child is part of a psychological study
Difference between participant and non-participant
Non-participant = researcher watched from distance
Participant = rather than getting involved, you get close to action so you don’t miss anything
Can you establish a cause and effect, why
You cannot establish a cause or effect, only if you change the IV
E.g. - observe boys playing with boys toys more than girls, no evidence to suggest this is due to parental models
Observations ARE able to lead to experiments later on to establish this
What is a concern with inter-rate reliability
Researcher bias
How can you overcome researcher bias
Must use trained professionals
Why is researcher bias present
Everyone has unique background and viewpoint it is natural that two observers may sometimes see behaviour of a child in a different way
Ecological validity in naturalistic
HIGH
Observed in natural surroundings so behaviour is unaffected by observer. There are no demand characteristics
Ecological validity in structured
LOW
Set up staged environment
Can depend on age of child if changed surroundings are noticed
Very young children are unaware they are being observed, cognitive function is low
Demand characteristics in naturalistic
No demand characteristics (in same environment)
Demand characteristics in structured
Set up environment, has DC
Young children don’t
Naturalistic reliability
Do not control extraneous variables which would come up in real environment, making it difficult to replicate
Structured reliability
Highly standardised procedures, so easier to replicate
Consent gaining in both experiments
Can never observe children without consent even in public
Need consent from parents/guardians
Can be observed covertly as long as parents know
