Observational design Flashcards
What is an unstructured observation?
the researcher writes down everything they see
Strengths of unstructured observations
rich in detail
Weaknesses of unstructured observation
produces qualitative data, may be a greater risk of observer bias
What is a structured observation?
Where the observer is looking for specific behaviours, or records behaviours at specific time intervals.
Strengths of structured observations
produces quantitative data so comparing data is easier
Weaknesses of structured observations
any behaviour that doesn’t fit into a category, will not be recorded
What are behaviour categories?
when a target behaviour is broken up into components that are observable and measurable
Strengths of behaviour categories
make data more structured and objective
Conditions that have to be met in behaviour categories
categories have to be clear and unambiguous must be observable, measurable and self-evident, all possible forms of the target behaviour are included, categories should be exclusive and not overlap
What is continuous recording?
all instances of target behaviour are recorded
Weaknesses of continuous recording
not practical/feasible for very complex behaviours
What is event sampling?
counting the number of times a particular behaviour occurs in a target individual/group
Strengths of event sampling
useful when behaviour happens infrequently
Weaknesses of event sampling
if event is complex, observer may overlook important details
What is time sampling?
recording behaviour with pre-established time frame (e.g every 30s)
