Observational Techniques

Question 1

What is an observation?

Answer 1

An observation is when a researcher watches or listens to participants engaging in whatever behaviour is being studied.

Question 2

Types of observations

Answer 2

• Non-Participant observation: When researcher does not get directly involved and does not take part in activities.
  Pos: Can focus on activity and make good notes.
  Neg: Can’t look out of place + demand char.
• Participant Obs: Researcher is directly involved w/ interactions and will engage.
  Pos: Greater validity as greater understanding.
  Neg: Might become too subjective and biased.
• Covert: Undercover and don’t reveal true identity; group doesn’t know.
  Pos: less demand char.
  Neg: Can break ethics
• Overt: Group knows they’re observed by psychologist. Observer effects can occur = invalid results.
  Pos: no deception.
  Neg: demand char.

Question 3

Naturalistic Observation

Answer 3

Researcher observes participants in their own natural environment and there is no deliberate manipulation of IV.

Question 4

Naturalistic Observation: Advantages

Answer 4

• Participants are unaware = less observer effects = valid.
• High mundane realism and ecological validity.
• Useful when the deliberate manipulation of variables is impractical or unethical e.g telling children to be aggressive to observe children in playgrounds vs observing natural aggression.

Question 5

Naturalistic Observation: Disadvantages

Answer 5

• Impossible to have control over extraneous variables.
• Problematic to determine cause of behaviour.
• Risk of observer bias as observer might be biased trying to interpret behaviour to fit aim.

Question 6

Controlled Observations

Answer 6

Researcher observes participants un a controlled environment and this allows for manipulation of the IV.

Question 7

Controlled Observations: Advantages

Answer 7

• Cause and effect can be determined as observation is highly controlled.
• Extraneous variables can be controlled for = results more valid
• Yields qualitative data that is rich and detailed = increases validity as observation is more accurate.

Question 8

Controlled Observations: Disadvantages

Answer 8

• Lower mundane realism and ecological validity as high control.
• Observer effects can occur as participants know they are being observed (overt). Participants may show social desirability bias and might behave unnaturally.
• Risk of observer bias when observer’s views influence data collected.

Question 9

How to check observer reliability?

Answer 9

• A way to check this is to have 2 observers who record separately and then correlate observations and data.
• If a Kappa score showing correlation of +0.8 is gained then data is reliable. This is knows as INTER-RATED RELIABILITY.

Question 10

Behavioural categories

Answer 10

These are specific types of behaviour that are being looked for in an observation.

Question 11

Sampling procedures

Answer 11

• Event sampling: observer decides in advance what types of behaviour they are interested in and records all occurrences; other types are ignored.
• Time-interval sampling: observer decides in advance that observation will take place only during specific time periods and record the occurrence of specified behaviour during that period.

Question 12

Pilot study

Answer 12

• Preliminary small scale investigation involving few people to trail the study on. This saves time and money by identifying any flaws in procedure that can be rectified before main study.
• Pilot study can help spot confusion or unusual things in info given.
• Pilot study can be sed to establish behavioural categories and check if they are suitable.