Chapter 4 Flashcards
Observational approaches
The direct observation of human or nonhuman behavior
3 questions to ask during observational approach
- will the observation occur in a natural or contrived setting
- Will the participants know they are being observed
- How will the participants’ behaivor be recorded
Naturalistic observation
Observation of ongoing behaivor at it occurs naturally with no intrusion or intervention by the researcher
Participant observation
One type of naturalistic observation in which the researcher engages in the same activities he/she is observing
Contrived observation
Involves the observation of behaivor in settings that are arranged specifically for observing and recording behaivor
Undisguised observation
The individuals being studies know the researcher is observing their behaivor
Reactivity
When participants act differently becuse they know they are being observed
Disguised observation
When researchers are conserved about reactivity so they conceal the fact they are observing and recording participant’s behaivor
Informed consent
Participant’s right to decide whether or not to participate in research
Partial concealment
Letting the participants know they are being observed while withholding information regarding precisely which aspects of the participants behaivor are being observed
Knowledgeable informants
People who know the participants well
4 techniques used to observe and record data
- Narratives
- checklists
- Temporal measures
- observational rating scales
Narrative records
A full description of a participants behaivor
Unstructured observation method
Open ended observation method
Structured observation method
One in which the observer records, times, or rates behaivor on dimensions that have been decided apon in advance
Checklist/tally sheet
Researcher records attributes of the participants, and whether or particular behaivors were observed
Temporal measures
When a behaivor occurred and how long it lasted
Latency
How much time elapsed between a particular event and a behaivor or between two behaivors
Reaction time
The time that elapses between the presentation of a stimulus and the participants response
Task completion time
The length of time it takes participants to solve a problem or complete a task
Interbehavior latency
The time that elapses between two behaivors
Duration
How long a particular behaivor lasts
Observational rating scales
Measuring the quality or intensity of a behaivor
5 general catagories of psychophysiological and neuroscientific measures
- Measures of neural electrical activity
- neuroimaging
- Measures of the autonomic nervous system activity
- blood and saliva assays
- Precise measurement of overt reactions