Research Methods (JDD) Flashcards
What is an observation?
Watching and recording people’s behaviour. Usually carried out in people’s natural environment to observer their natural behaviour.
Why are observations a good method?
More ecologically valid
Why do we use observations?
Reveal a different aspect of behaviour (what people say they do is different to their natural behaviour)
What do observations not provide?
Information about how a person thinks or feels.
What is an overt observation?
Participants behaviour is watched and recorded with their knowledge and consent
What is a covert observation?
Participants behaviour is watched and recorded without their knowledge or consent
What is a participant observation?
The researcher becomes a member of the group whose behaviour they are watching or recording.
What is a non participant observation?
The researcher remains outside of the group whose behaviour they are watching and recording.
What is a naturalistic observation?
Watching and recording behaviour in the setting it would normally occur in.
What is a controlled observation?
Watching and recording behaviour within a structured environment. Some variables are managed.
What is an unstructured observational design?
Writing down everything you see.
Evaluate an unstructured observation
Produces qualitative data
Appropriate when observations are small scale
Very subjective and hard to know what’s of importance
What is the observational design behavioural categories?
To produce a structured record of what the researcher sees or hears. Target behaviour must be broken down into a set of operationalised behavioural categories.
Evaluate using behavioural categories
Makes observations more likely to be objective
Evaluate a participant observation
+: increased external validity -> increased insight into what ppts go through
-: lose objectivity-> identity too strongly
Evaluate non participant observations
+: remain objective
-: may lose valuable insight -> too removed
