Research Methods - observations Flashcards
What is an observation?
Watching behaviour of a sample and looking for patterns and later analysis, but cannot draw cause and effect relationships
How can observations be used?
Can be used as method (researcher observing sample) or technique (used as part of another research method - like lab/field experiment)
What is ppt. reactivity / observer effect?
Individuals modify aspects of their behaviour in response to awareness they are being observed
What is inter-rater reliability?
At least 2 observers compare data at the end to make it more objective. Correlation should be 0.8+ as single observers may miss important details
What are naturalistic observations?
Observation of behaviour in its natural setting - researcher makes no attempt to influence behaviour. Often done when it would be unethical to reconstruct in lab experiment
What are the strengths of naturalistic observations?
- High ecological validity (natural setting)
- Behaviour is more natural (ppts. don’t know they’re being studied so fewer observer effects
What are the limitations of naturalistic observations?
- Little control over EVs (hard to establish causality)
- Replication often not possible (can’t check reliability of findings)
What are controlled observations?
Observation in controlled setting, usually behind one way mirror
What are the strengths of controlled observations?
- Less risk of EVs (controlled environment)
- Replication often possible (check findings and reliability)
What are the limitations of controlled observations?
- Artificial setting could mean results lack ecological validity
- Behaviour is less natural as ppts. typically aware they’re being studied (increases ppt. reactivity)
What are structured observations?
Researcher creates behavioural checklist before to code behaviour
What is a behavioural checklist?
Standardised behaviour checklist of target behaviours to record frequency of behaviours (collecting qualitative data)
What are the strengths of structured observations?
- Behavioural checklist allows objective qualitative and quantifiable data to be collected which can be statistically analysed
- Allows for more than one observer (increases reliability)
What are the limitations of structured observations?
- Pre-existing behavioural categories can be restrictive and doesn’t explain why the behaviour is happening
What is a pilot study?
Small scale study carried out before actual research to practice using behavioural checklist
What is event sampling?
Counting each time a particular behaviour is observed
What are the strengths of event sampling?
Useful when target behaviour occurs infrequently (could be missed if time sampling was used)
What are the limitations of event sampling?
If target behaviour happens a lot, researcher could miss it
What is time sampling?
Recording behaviour at time intervals
What are the strengths of time sampling?
Observer has time to record what they’ve seen and gives sense of how long the behaviour has occurred for
What are the limitations of time sampling?
Some behaviours will be missed outside the intervals - might not be representative
What are unstructured observations?
Observer notes down all behaviours seen in qualitative form over a period of time
What are the strengths of unstructured observations?
- Can generate in-depth, rich qualitative data that can help explain why behaviour has occurred
- Researchers aren’t limited by theoretical expectations
What are the limitations of unstructured observations?
- Observer can get drawn to eye catching behaviours that might not be representative of all behaviours occurring
- More subjective and less comparable across researchers
