Observatonal Design Flashcards
What are unstructured observations
When the researcher writes down all behaviour they see, produces accounts of behaviour that are rich in detail
When are unstructured observations appropriate
When observations are small in scale and involve few participants-so researcher has ability to record all behaviour
Advantages of unstructured observations
Benefit from richness and depth of detail in data collected
Disadvantages of unstructured observations
-tend to produce qualitative data which is more difficult to record and analyse
-greater risk of observer bias as no objective behavioural categories, may only record behaviour that catches their eye
What are structured observations
Allow the researcher to quantify their observations using a pre-determines list of behaviours and sampling methods
Advantages of structured observations
-data produced likely to be quantitative which is more straightforward to analyse and compare
-less risk of observer bias due to objective behavioural categories
Disadvantages of structured observations
-data less rich in detail
What are behavioural categories
When a target behaviour is broken up into components that are observable and measurable.
What must behavioural categories be
Must be as clear as possible-should not require further interpretation.
Should include all forms of the target behaviour
Must be mutually exclusive-not overlap
What is continuous recording
Feature of unstructured observations in which all instances of a target behaviour are recorded, may not be possible for very complex behaviours
What is event sampling
When a target behaviour is first established then the researcher records this event every time it occurs
Advantages of event sampling
Useful when target behaviour happens infrequently and could be missed if time sampling used
Disadvantages of event sampling
If specified event is too complex the observer may overlook important details
What is time sampling
Target individual/group first established then researcher records their behaviour in a fixed time frame(eg every 60 seconds)
Advantages of time sampling
Effective in reducing the number of observations that have to be made
Disadvantages of time sampling
Instances when behaviour is sampled may be unrepresentative of observation as a whole
What is Inter observer reliability
The extent to which two or more observers are observing and recording behaviour in the same way, reduces observer bias
What steps are taken to ensure inter observer reliability
-observers familiarise themselves with behavioural categories to be used
-observe same behaviour at same time to give examples of the behaviour they are studying
-after study should compare data and discuss any discrepancies, correlate their pairs of data
