Obervational Techniques Flashcards
(22 cards)
What is a naturalistic observation ?
Behaviours is observed in the natural context without intrusion by the person who is doing the observing
No direct manipulation of variables .
What are the strengths of a naturalistic observation ?
High ecological validity- participants unaware they are being watched and behave in their natural environment - less chance of demand characteristics
Study behaviour where can’t manipulate variables - data can be collected from participants who cannot be tested in other ways .
What are the limitations of a naturalistic observations
Observer bias- observer might see what he or she expects to see . Different observers may see different things which leads to low inter observer reliability
Lack of control - compared to other methods like lab experiment, there is no control of variable therefore replication will be impossible meaning it is hard to establish external validity .
What is a controlled observation?
Researcher attempted to control certain variables .
Control of the environment can occur if the observation is conducted in the lab .
What are the strengths of controlled observation ?
Time saving- possible to manipulate variables so you don’t have to wait for desired behaviour to show
Preliminary research- provides a means of conducting preliminary research to develop new hypothesis for further investigations.
Imitations of controlled observation ?
Lower ecological validity - participants behaviour may change as they know they’re being observed - demand characteristics
Observer bias - observer may see what he or she expects to see , different observers see different things which leads to low inter observer reliability
What is a covert observation?
Participants are unaware they are being observed
Strengths of covert observation ?
High eco validity - behaviour is more natural as participants are unaware they are being watched
Limitation of covert observation
Ethics may be questionable dur to invasion of privacy and lack of informed consent
What is an overt observation?
Participants know they are being watched
Strength of overt observation ?
More ethical than covert if gained informed consent
Limitations of overt observation
Reduced eco validity - participants know they are being observed so may lead to participant reactivity
What is a participant observation ?
The observer becomes part of the group they are studying
Strength of participant observation?
Allows researcher to gain a special insight into the behaviour that may only be seen from the inside , increasing validity of findings .
Limitations of participant observation ?
Observer bias - objectivity of findings may be affected by being part of the group
What is a non participant observation ?
Researcher remains separate from the group they are studying
Strengths of non participant observation
Observer is more likely to be objective compared to participant observation .
What is the limitation of non participant observation?
Data lacks richness
What are the ways to sample observations? And what are the strengths and limitations?
Event sampling- observer records target behaviour whenever they occur in target individuals. Observer records the number of times a particular behaviour is demonstrated
Strength - observer can record variety of behaviours that change frequently so behaviours will not be missed.
Limitation - can be difficult to to accurately record behaviour if too many target behaviours are shown at once or if behaviour changes rapidly this can reduce validity of observation
Time sampling- observer records target behaviour at set time points
Strengths- observer has more time to record what they have seen which means observation is easier to manage if a lot of behaviours are occurring throughout the set time
Limitation- behaviours that change between time points are missed and not recorded therefore observation may not be representative.
How do we improve reliability and validity?
Improving Reliability of Observations
When more than one observer is used, they should all be similarly trained in order for the researchers to know how to record behaviour in a consistent manner. Behavioural categories should be operationalised and mutually exclusive and cover all possible behaviours. A pilot study can be used to check observers are applying the behavioural categories consistently.
Improving Validity of
Observations
Internal Validity: Internal validity may be a problem if observers are biased. This can be improved by having more than one observer, averaging data across observers, training the observers, using a pilot study and using clear behavioural categories.
