observational techniques

Question 1

observation

Answer 1

provide psychologists a way of seeing what people do without having to ask them in self report methods

allow researchers to study observable behaviour in a natural or controlled setting

allows a researcher the flexibility to study more complex interactions between variables

Question 2

strength of all observations

Answer 2

able to capture what people actually of which may include unexpected behaviour

people often do not act the sae as they say they would

so observational methods are useful because they give special insight into behaviour

Question 3

limitation of all observations

Answer 3

observer bias

observes interpretation of a situation may be affected by their expectations

can be reduced by using more than one observer

Question 4

naturalistic observations

Answer 4

take place in the setting or context where the tarter get behaviour would usually occur

all aspects of the environments are free to vary

much better to study interaction in a naturalistic observation

Question 5

strenght of naturalistic observation

Answer 5

high external validity as findings can often be generalised into everyday life

this is because behaviour is studied within the environment that it would usual occur

Question 6

limitation of naturalistic observations

Answer 6

lack of control over research situations makes replication of the investigation difficult

may also be many uncontrolled confounding and extraneous variables that make it difficult to establish cause and effect

Question 7

controlled observations

Answer 7

control certain aspects of the research situation

some control over variables including manipulating variables to observe effects

also control of confounding and extraneous variables

Question 8

strength of controlled observation

Answer 8

confndning anf extraneous variables may be less og a factor so replication of observation becomes easier

Question 9

limitation of controlled observations

Answer 9

may produce findings that cannot be applied to everyday life due to the artificial environment created

Question 10

covert observation

Answer 10

particpants are unaware they are th focus of study and their behaviour is observed in secret

such behaviour must be pub;of when it is being observed to be ethical

Question 11

limitation of covert observation

Answer 11

ethics are questioned

even though it is public people may not want their behaviour to be recordered

Question 12

strenght og covert observation

Answer 12

particpants don’t know that they’re being watched

removes the problem of demand characteristics and ensures that any behaviour observed will be natural

increases internal validity

Question 13

overt observations

Answer 13

know their behaviour is being observed and have given their informed consent beforehand

Question 14

strenght of overt

Answer 14

more ethically acceptable as there is knowledge that they are being observed so that means they can give informed consent to the study

Question 15

limitation of overt

Answer 15

due to the particpants knowing that hey are being observed this could significantly influence their behaviour and they could respond to demand characteristics

decreases internal validity

Question 16

participant observation

Answer 16

observer becomes part of the group they are studying

Question 17

strength of particpant

Answer 17

researcher can experience the situation as the particoants fo

gives them increased insight into the lives of th people being studied

may increases the external validity of the findings

Question 18

limiatation of particpants

Answer 18

the researchers may come to identify too strongly with the particpants and lose objectivity

adopting local lifestyle

Question 19

non particpant

Answer 19

researcher remains seperare from the particpants and records behaviour in a more objective manner

Question 20

strenght of non particpant observation

Answer 20

allows researcher to maintain an objective psychological distance from the particpants so there is less danger for them to adopt a local lifestyle

Question 21

limitation of non participant

Answer 21

may lose valuable insight to be gained in a particpant observation as they are far too removed from the propel and behaviour that they are studying