Observations

In what ways are observations the same as experiments?

• Still use the same sampling methods

• Still use to same method

• Still have the same ethical issues

• Still manipulates variables

What is a participant observation?

• Observations made by someone who is not participating in the activity being observed.

• An observational technique where the observations are ‘open’. i.e. The participant know/are aware that they are being observed.

• The researcher uses various ‘systems’ to organise behaviour, such as sampling techniques or behavioural categories.

• Observations made by someone who is also participating in the activity being observed. This may affect their objectivity.

What is a strength of an overt observation?

• Reduces ethical issues

• Increases validity

• Less social desirability

• Less demand characteristics

What is a weakness of unstructured observations?

• Open to observer bias

• Reductionist

• Harder to establish reliability

• Can reduce validity

Where is a controlled observation usually conducted?

• A laboratory setting

• A field setting

• A natural setting

• The pub

What are behavioural categories?

• They are used in covert and overt observations

• They are used when designing unstructured observations to record operationalised behaviours.

• These are used when designing a structured observation to record operationalised behaviours.

• They are used when looking at results of observations

What kind of sampling is: ''every occurrence of behaviour, as specified on a predetermined checklist, is observed and recorded within a specified period of time''

• Time sampling

• Snowball sampling

• Self-selected sampling

• Event Sampling

What is a criticism of time sampling?

• Less reliable

• Not representative

• Can miss important events

• Difficult to carry out

How can we increase validity in an observation?

• Carry out a covert observation so participants don’t change their behaviour

• Double blind observations to reduce observer bias

• Clearly operationalised coding system.

• All of the above

What is a naturalistic observation?

• An observation carried out in an unaltered setting in which the observer does not interfere in any way but merely observes the behaviour in question.

• Observations made by someone who is also participating in the activity being observed. This may affect their objectivity.

• An observation conducted under controlled conditions, such as an observation room.

• Every instance of behaviour is recorded in a much detail as possible. This is useful if the behaviour you are interested in do not occur very often.