Observations

• controlled observation

  some variables in the environment are manipulated by the researcher

  a researcher can investigate the effect of certain things on behaviour

  it can take place in a laboratory or natural setting
• strengths and weaknesses of participant observation

  -strengths:

  • increased insight into life and behaviour of people

  -weaknesses:

  • lose objectivity by becoming part of the group
  • participants may act differently knowing that they are with a researcher
• structured observation

  when the target behaviours are simplified in advance using behavioural categories

  this is used when too much happens in one observation

  easier to gather data as you already know what to look for

  more systematic data that is numerical so analysing behaviour is easier

  interesting behaviours could go unnoticed as they weren't pre defined as important
• time sampling

  • recording behaviour within a pre established time e.g. every 30 seconds
  • very convenient for researcher
  • if interesting behaviours occur outside sample intervals they won't be recorded
• event sampling

  • counting number of times that a particular behaviour happens
  • used if event happens infrequently
  • researcher knows exactly what to look for
  • potentially interesting behaviours could be ignored
• naturalistic observation

  observing people in their natural environment

  behaviour is not controlled - people can choose how to behave and the researcher does not interfere
• strengths and weaknesses of controlled observation

  -strengths

  • can be replicated for validity
  • extraneous variables can be controlled

  -weaknesses

  • low external validity
  • participant may change behaviour knowing they are being observed
• strengths and weaknesses of covert observations

  -strengths

  • participants will behave naturally - internal validity

  -weakness

  • ethics may be questioned as people may not agree to their behaviour being recorded, even if it is in public
• what is non participant observation

  researcher remains separate from those that they are studying and record behaviour in an objective manner
• unstructured observation

  write down everything they observe

  produces accounts of behaviour that are rich in detail

  appropriate for small scale observations with few participants

  qualitative data - difficult to analyse

  greater risk of observer bias

  won't be consistent - may miss something while writing

  difficult to compare results - people may have different ideas of the behaviour
• behavioural categories

  • breaking a target behaviour into observable and measurable components - operationalisation
  • data collection becomes more structured and objective
  • categories need to be clear and unambiguous
  • all possible forms of target behaviour have to be included in the checklist in advance
  • categories should be exclusive and not overlap
  • categories need to be objective, mutually exclusive and has to cover all possible behaviours
• strengths and weaknesses of naturalistic observation

  -strengths:

  • natural response from participant
  • high external validity

  -weaknesses:

  • lack of control of situation means replication of experiment is hard
  • many uncontrolled confounding/extraneous variables
• covert observation

  when participants are unaware they are the focus of the study and their behaviour is observed secretly
• overt observation

  when participants know their behaviour is being observed and have given informed consent
• strengths and weaknesses of overt observation

  -strengths:

  • more ethical - have given consent and know they are being observed

  -weakness:

  • people may change behaviour
• participant observation

  when the researcher participates in the activity under study
• strengths and weaknesses of non participant observation

  -strengths:

  • can remain objective through study

  -weakness:

  • lose sense of group dynamic by being far from the participants