5.observational design Flashcards
event sampling
researcher watching and recording behaviour each time it happens
good for small groups
all behaviour is measured
behavioural categories
the way researchers operationalise behaviour being measured so all observers know the behaviours being observed
each behaviour can only fit into once category
time sampling
recording behaviours at timed intervals
behaviours can be missed
better for large groups
self report techniques
participants provide information about thing specificaly relating to themselves
in a questionnaire
questionnaires
distibuted by post, telephone, internet
important to get a large representitive sample
researcher doesn’t need tobe present
closed questions
for quantitative data
researcher determines the range of possible answers reply by ticking a box
open questions
for qualitative data
not strict range of answers available
questionnaire strengths
simplicity
can be administered by someone with minimal training
large sample increases population validity
less influence of interpersonal variables
researchers don’t sit with respondents
reduces socially desirable answers or showing demand characteristics
increases internal validity
questionnaire weaknesses
question wording
ambiguous wording
leading questions
not have internally valid results
response rate
low proportion of people who respond
people who respondmay have characteristics different from those who don’t
not representitive of wider population
cannot be generalised
interviews
aim to gather information about how people feel about certain topics
gather more detailed responses
either highly structured or open
structured interviews
set of standardised questions
open-ended questions
for team of interviews who need to act consistently
more suitable for quantitative research
semi-structured interviews
use some of the same questions for all interviewees but with flexibility
more natural and appropriate to ask questions
unstructured interviews
informal
conversation should unfold on its own
