research methods - Observations

a key feature of a naturalistic observation is..

• participants are observed in controlled conditions

• participants are observed in an artificial environment

• participants are observed in their natural environment

• there will be demand characteristics

a naturalistic observation is good because

• there is high control over extraneous variables

• it is replicable and therefore reliable

• it is a lab -based experiment

• there is less chance of demand characteristics

a controlled observation is..

• carried out in an artificial environment

• carried out in a natural environment

• has no control of extraneous variables

• will not have demand characteristics

a covert observation is..

• the same as a controlled observation

• where participants are unaware they are being observed

• where participants are aware they are being observed

• where participants have given consent

an overt observation is..

• where participants have not given consent

• where participants have given consent

• where participants are unaware that they are being observed

• is always in a natural environment

a covert observation is..

• unethical due to lack of consent

• ethical due to lack of consent

• more likely to have demand characteristics

• unreliable because it cannot be replicated

an overt observation is..

• unethical due to lack of consent

• more likely to produce demand characteristics

• ethical due to lack of consent

• less likely to produce demand characteristics

a participant observation involves..

• the researcher taking part in the behaviour being observed

• the researcher remaining separate to the behaviour observed

• direct manipulation of an IV

• qualitative data only

structured observations include..

• researcher freely recording all relevant behaviour

• qualitative data

• statistical analysis of findings

• categorising the behaviours and using a sampling procedure

why do we use behavioural categories in observations

• to make the behaviours easier to analyse

• to get details about the behaviour

• so the researchers don't get bored

• to reduce the reliability