observational techniques

Question 1

intro

Answer 1

• Non experimental method
• Can’t determine cause and effect
• A way of observing how people will behave without having been told how to act.
• Allows researchers to study observable behaviour both within a controlled and a more natural setting
• Gives researchers the opportunity to study more complex interactions between variables in a more natural setting.
• Observations are often used within experiments to assess the IV

Question 2

naturalistic vs controlled

Answer 2

Naturalistic
• Takes places in a setting where the behaviour would usually occur
• All aspects are free to vary
- Manager - employee interactions

Controlled
• Sometimes it is useful to control certain aspects of the situation
• Strange situation - two way mirror
- There is some control - this incudes manipulating variables to observe the effects and controlling EVs.

Question 3

covert vs overt

Answer 3

Covert
• Participants are unaware they are part of the study and that they are being observed.
- Behaviour must be public and happening anyway if it is to be ethical.
- Behaviour may be recorded first without gaining consent.

Overt
- Participants know they are part of the study and have given informed consent to be part of the study.

Question 4

participant vs non-participant

Answer 4

Participant
• The researcher takes part in the study
- First hand account of the environment.

Non-Participant
- Researchers remain separate from the research they are conducting
• More objectivity
- It is often inconvenient or inappropriate for the researcher to join

Question 5

eval naturalistic vs controlled

Answer 5

• External Validity
• Conducting the research in a natural setting makes it very generalisable, whereas a controlled setting does not.

• Replication
• Controlled settings are readily replicable due to the control of variables, whereas the lack of control in naturaliste setting make replication harder.

Question 6

eval covert vs overt

Answer 6

• Internal Validity
  • The fact that participants don’t know they are being observed removes the issue of demand characteristics.
• Ethics
• People may not want their behaviour recorded (privacy).
• Overt may be more ethical, however the knowledge that you are being watched could impact behaviour.

Question 7

eval participant vs non-participant

Answer 7

Validity
• Experiencing the situation with the participants gives researchers greater insight.
- Gives participant observations greater validity.
- Objectivity
• Participant observations may result in researchers identifying too strongly with participants → lack of objectivity → going native
• It is easier to maintain objectivity when observing from the outside, but insight may be lost as they are too far removed.