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Psychology P2 - Research Methods > Observational Methods > Flashcards

Observational Methods Flashcards

1
Q

Naturalistic Observation

A

Takes place in the environment the behaviour would normally occur
Researcher does not interfere

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2
Q

Naturalistic Observation (strengths)

A

High external validity
Can be more generalised to real life situations

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3
Q

Naturalistic Observation (weaknesses)

A

Difficult to replicate
May have a high level of extraneous variables

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4
Q

Controlled Observation

A

Researcher has some control over the variables may reduce the naturalness of the environment
Participants are likely to be aware they are being studied

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5
Q

Controlled Observation (strengths)

A

Specific aspects of behaviour can be focused on
Likely to be less extraneous variables

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6
Q

Controlled Observation (weaknesses)

A

Low external validity
Behaviour may be less natural

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7
Q

Covert Observation

A

Participants will have no knowledge they are being observed
Are likely to be informed afterwards to ensure ethics

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8
Q

Covert Observation (strengths)

A

Behaviour is more natural and removes the issue of demand characteristics
High internal validity

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9
Q

Covert Observation (weaknesses)

A

Ethical issues of consent and privacy

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10
Q

Overt Observation

A

Participants are aware they are being observed and have given informed consent

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11
Q

Overt Observation (strengths)

A

More ethically acceptable

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12
Q

Overt Observation (weaknesses)

A

Demand characteristics

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13
Q

Participant Observation

A

An observer becomes part of the group they are observing
Could be either covert or overt

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14
Q

Participant Observation (strengths)

A

Helps provide more insight into behaviour

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15
Q

Participant Observation (weaknesses)

A

Research and may start to identify with a group of participants and could lose objectivity ‘going native’

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16
Q

Non-Participant Observation

A

Observer keeps a distance and does not interact with the participants

17
Q

Non-Participant Observation (strengths)

A

More likely to be objective

18
Q

Non-Participant Observation (weaknesses)

A

Observers may not gain as much insight

19
Q

Structured Observation

A

Has pre-determined behaviours and sampling methods
Appropriate for larger observations

20
Q

Structured Observation (strengths)

A

Recording data is more systematic
Produces quantitive data which is easy to analyse

21
Q

Structured Observation (weaknesses)

A

Lacks detail

22
Q

Unstructured Observation

A

The researcher writes down everything that they see
Produces rich data
Appropriate in small observations

23
Q

Unstructured Observation (strengths)

A

More detailed and rich data

24
Q

Unstructured Observation (weaknesses)

A

Produces qualitative data, which is more difficult to record and analyse
Greater risk of researcher bias as there are no behavioural categories

25
Q

Behavioural Categories

A

Breaking down target behaviours into components which are observable and measurable

26
Q

Behavioural Categories (strengths)

A

Data collection is more structured and objective

27
Q

Behavioural Categories (weaknesses)

A

Can be problematic if the behaviour categories are not clear and overlap
If all the categories of the target behaviour not included, it can result in a ‘dustbin’ category which many different behaviours are deposited in

28
Q

Event Sampling

A

Structured
A target behaviour is established and it is recorded every time it occurs

29
Q

Event Sampling (strengths)

A

Useful when target behaviours happen, infrequently and could be missed if time sampling is used

30
Q

Event Sampling (weaknesses)

A

If the target behaviour is too complex, the observer may overlook important details

31
Q

Time Sampling

A

Structured
A target individual is identified, and then the research records their behaviour in a fixed time

32
Q

Time Sampling (strengths)

A

Effective in reducing the number of observations that have to be made

33
Q

Time Sampling (weaknesses)

A

Times when the behaviour is sampled may be unrepresentative of the observation as a whole

34
Q

Continuous Recording

A

Unstructured
All target behaviours are recorded

35
Q

Inter-Observer Reliability

A

Single observers may miss important details on my only notice events that confirmed that hypothesis (researcher bias)
Test-retest can be done solo by recording with a camera or going over it again and doing another observation
Observations should be carried out by at least two researchers

Psychology P2 - Research Methods (14 decks)

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