RESEARCH METHODS- observational method

Question 1

What is an observational method?

Answer 1

The observational method looks at and examines behaviour. For example, Zimbardo’s prison study observed how participants behaved when given certain social roles.

Question 2

What is event and time sampling?

Answer 2

Event-Counting how many times the participant behaves in a certain way.
Time-Recording participant behaviour at regular time intervals. For example, making notes of the participant’s behaviour after every 1 minute has passed.

Question 3

Types of observation.
Naturalistic vs Controlled?

Answer 3

Naturalistic-Observations made in a real-life setting
E.g. setting up cameras in an office or school to observe how people interact in those environments
Controlled- Observations made in an artificial setting set up for the purposes of observation
E.g. Ainsworth’s strange situation or Zimbardo’s prison study

Question 4

Types of observation.
Covert vs Overt?

Answer 4

Covert- Participants are not aware they are being observed as part of a study
E.g. setting up hidden cameras in an office.
Overt-Participants are aware they are being observed as part of a study
E.g. Zimbardo’s prison study

Question 5

Types of observation.
Participant vs Non-participant?

Answer 5

Participant- Where the researcher/observer is actively involved in the situation being observed
E.g. in Zimbardo’s prison study, Zimbardo played the role of prison superintendent himself.
Non-participant-When the researcher/observer is not involved in the situation being observed
E.g. in Bandura’s Bobo the doll experiment and Ainsworth’s strange situation, the observers did not interact with the children being observed.