Module 7, Observation

Question 1

Ecological Validity: f

Answer 1

form of external validity; ability to generalize experimental findings to real-world situations

Question 2

Naturalistic Observation:

Answer 2

features very direct data collection using visual observation, field notes, and recording in natural settings

Question 3

Participant Observation:

Answer 3

refers to the immersion of the researcher into the phenomenon under study

Question 4

Structured/ Controlled Observations:

Answer 4

can be obtrusive (where presence of researcher is obvious to participants) or unobtrusive, where the participants are not aware their behavior is being watched

Question 5

Field Experiment:

Answer 5

being carried out in a natural settings instead of lab

Question 6

Participant Observation

Answer 6

Participant observations depend on interactions of the observer with others in the situation
Limitations: difficult to achieve objectivity, may take years to fully achieve results, how to know whether presence of the researcher disrupts the phenomena, ethical issues in recording data

Question 7

Controlled Observation

Answer 7

Observation with intervention, in which a situation constructed by the researcher is designed to elicit a target behavior
Strong external validity, easy for quantitative methods, efficient
Criticisms: subjective to the researcher, reduced replicability of the results

Question 8

Reactivity:

Answer 8

refers to behaving differently when you know you’re being watched

Question 9

Field Experiments

Answer 9

Experiment takes place in natural setting as opposed to the lab
Benefits: high external/ecological validity, removes artificiality of the lab, still able to manipulate variables
Criticisms: more variability than in a lab

Question 10

Demand Characteristic

Answer 10

behaviors that the researchers expect to see

Question 11

Systematic Sampling:

Answer 11

observe every tenth person to pass viewing location

Question 12

Random Sampling:

Answer 12

pick random individuals in a setting to observe; each relevant person has an equal chance of being selected

Question 13

Systematic/random time sampling

Answer 13

Systematic Time Sampling: records participants, for example, on the first day of every month
Random Time Sampling: no specific structure follows how the researcher chooses their time frame

Question 14

Event sampling

Answer 14

only observe children when they are having tantrums

Question 15

Features of situations CCC

Answer 15

Cues: represent stimuli present in the situation
Characteristics: refer to the human perception of the situational cues
Classes: types of situations that share similar cues and characteristics

Question 16

Qualitative Recordings

Answer 16

Provide records of observations without an emphasis of counting things like the frequency of a behavior
May not know what variables are being recorded until some observation is done

Question 17

Comprehensive Narrative:

Answer 17

recording as much data as possible

Question 18

Goals of qualitative data ANALYSIS:

Answer 18

identify and interpret patterns/themes in observations, and determine whether the data provides answers to the research questions

Question 19

Steps of qualitative data analysis ADII

Answer 19

Analysis can begin as soon as any data are collected, even if it is incomplete
After familiarity is established with data, you can begin data reduction: leaving out what is unneeded
Next, identify important themes; themes that emerge organically as data are collected and determine the importance of the themes present
Finally, interpret the findings

Question 20

Quantitative Recordings

Answer 20

What variables are being recorded
Use nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio levels of measurement

Question 21

What kind of validity does natural observation have?

Answer 21

Natural Observation: low internal validity but high ecological validity

Question 22

What kind of validity does field experiment have?

Answer 22

Field Experiment: high internal validity, but lower ecological validity

Question 23

What kind of validity does structured observation have

Answer 23

Structured Observation: has higher internal validity than participant observation, but lower ecological validity

Question 24

What kind of validity does participant observation have?

Answer 24

Participant Observation: has lower internal validity than structured observations, but higher ecological validity
ECOLOGICAL AND EXTERNAL VALIDITY ARE THE SAME

Question 25

Classical Test Theory:

Answer 25

all observations are made up of a combination of the true score plus measurement error

Question 26

True Score:

Answer 26

hypothetical, we can never know this

Question 27

Define distinctiveness, equal intervals, order of magnitude, and absolute zero.

Answer 27

D: (classifies and labels variables)
E:(variable is measured in equal intervals)
O: ranks characteristics in order)
Z: absence of trait

Question 28

Nominal: NOIR

Answer 28

CATEGORICAL (ANY NUMBER ASSIGNED TO THESE DON’T MEAN ANYTHING) Nominal: has distinctiveness (classifies and labels variables)

Question 29

Ordinal:

Answer 29

CATEGORICAL (ANY NUMBER ASSIGNED TO THESE DON’T MEAN ANYTHING)Ordinal: has distinctiveness and magnitude (ranks characteristics in order) (LETTER GRADE ON EXAM)

Question 30

INTERVAl

Answer 30

QUANTITATIVE, NUMBERS ARE COUNTING SOMETHING Interval: has distinctiveness, magnitude, equal intervals (variable is measured in equal intervals)