observational design

Question 1

What are the four steps of observational design?

Answer 1

-decide on behavioral categories
-decide on a sampling method
-decide how to record data
-consider the issue of inter rater reliability

Question 2

What is meant by ‘behavioral categories’?

Answer 2

making target behaviours observable and measurable. They must be mutually exclusive, cannot overlap.

Question 3

What are the two sampling methods for an observational design?

Answer 3

-Event sampling
-Time sampling

Question 4

What is meant by event sampling?

Answer 4

-counting the number of times a particular behavior (or ‘the event) occurs in a target individual or group

Question 5

What is meant by time sampling?

Answer 5

-involves recording behavior within a pre-established time frame e.g watching someone every 30 seconds

Question 6

What are two ways of recording data in an observation?

Answer 6

a tally chart or coding record

Question 7

How do you ensure an observation is reliable?

Answer 7

1) have at least two observers that have been trained on what they are observing and how to record their data
2) carry out a correlation at the end of the observation to make sure observers were consistent