Observation Techniques Flashcards
(13 cards)
What are observational techniques?
Methods that allow psychologists to observe behaviour without asking participants to perform tasks, offering insight in natural or controlled settings.
What is a naturalistic observation?
An observation where behaviour is recorded in a natural environment without any manipulation by the researcher.
What is a controlled observation?
An observation conducted in a structured environment where some variables are managed by the researcher.
What is a covert observation?
An observation where participants are unaware their behaviour is being recorded.
What is an overt observation?
An observation where participants are aware they are being observed and have given informed consent.
What is a participant observation?
An observation where the researcher becomes part of the group being studied.
What is a non-participant observation?
An observation where the researcher remains separate from the participants being observed.
What is an unstructured observation?
An observation where the researcher records all behaviour seen, producing detailed qualitative data.
What is a structured observation?
An observation using a predefined coding scheme to record specific behaviours for quantitative analysis.
What are behavioural categories?
Clearly defined key behaviours used in structured observations to measure target behaviour objectively.
What is event sampling?
Recording every time a pre-specified behaviour occurs during an observation.
What is time sampling?
Recording behaviours of participants at set time intervals.
What is inter-observer reliability?
The extent to which different observers produce consistent results when observing the same behaviour.
