Observational methods

• What is naturalistic observation?

  An observation carried out in an everyday setting without interference from the investigator.
• What is a key advantage of naturalistic observation?

  It has high ecological validity.
• What is a disadvantage of naturalistic observation when participants are aware they are being watched?

  It can lead to low ecological validity.
• What is a challenge associated with naturalistic observation?

  Replication can be difficult.
• What type of variables are present in naturalistic observation?

  Uncontrolled confounding and extraneous variables.
• What is controlled observation?

  A form of investigation where behavior is observed under organized conditions by the researcher.
• What is a key advantage of controlled observation?

  The researcher can focus on a particular aspect of behavior.
• What is a disadvantage of controlled observation?

  It is more likely to observe unnatural behavior due to the environment.
• What is a potential issue with controlled observation regarding realism?

  It has low mundane realism, leading to low ecological validity.
• What are demand characteristics in controlled observation?

  They are cues that may influence participants' behavior, reducing validity.
• What is overt observation?

  Observational studies where participants are aware their behavior is being studied.
• What is an ethical advantage of overt observation?

  It is ethically acceptable as informed consent is given.
• What is a disadvantage of overt observation regarding behavior?

  Participants are likely to record unnatural behavior because they know they are being watched.
• What is a potential issue with validity in overt observation?

  Demand characteristics likely reduce the validity of findings.
• What are covert observations?

  Observing people without their knowledge.
• What is a key advantage of covert observations?

  Natural behavior is recorded, leading to high internal validity of results.
• What problem does covert observation solve regarding participant behavior?

  It removes the problem of participant reactivity.
• What ethical issues are associated with covert observations?

  No informed consent is given, which can invade participants' privacy.
• What is participant observation?

  Observation made by someone who is also participating in the activity being observed.
• What is an advantage of participant observation?

  It can provide more insightful data, increasing the validity of findings.
• What is a disadvantage of participant observation regarding objectivity?

  Researchers may lose objectivity by identifying too strongly with participants.
• What is a potential issue with participant observation if participants find out they are being watched?

  Behavior may change if participants become aware of the observation.
• What is non-participant observation?

  The observer is separate from the people being observed.
• What is an advantage of non-participant observation?

  Researchers can be more objective as they are less likely to identify with participants.
• What is a disadvantage of non-participant observation regarding bias?

  It is open to observer bias, such as stereotypes the observer may hold.
• What is a potential drawback of non-participant observation regarding insight?

  Researchers may lose some valuable insight by not being part of the group.
• What is unstructured observation?

  It consists of continuous recording where the researcher writes everything during the observation.
• What is a key advantage of unstructured observation?

  It provides more richness and depth of detail.
• What is a disadvantage of unstructured observation?

  It produces qualitative data which is more difficult to record and analyze.
• What is another disadvantage of unstructured observation?

  There is a greater risk of observer bias, such as only recording 'catch the eye' behaviors.
• What characterizes structured observation?

  A researcher uses various systems to organize observations, such as behavioral categories and sampling procedures.
• What is a key advantage of structured observation?

  It is easier and more systematic.
• What type of data is collected in structured observation?

  Quantitative data is collected, which is easy to analyze and compare with other data.
• What is a disadvantage of structured observation?

  It does not provide much depth of detail.
• What is another disadvantage of structured observation?

  It is difficult to achieve high inter-observer reliability as filling the predetermined lists is subjective.
• What is time sampling in observational techniques?

  It is an observational technique where the observer records behaviors in a given time frame.
• What is an advantage of time sampling?

  It reduces the number of observations that have to be made, making it less time-consuming.
• What is a disadvantage of time sampling?

  The small amount of data collected within that time frame may be unrepresentative of the observation as a whole.
• What is event sampling in observational techniques?

  It is an observational technique where an account is kept of the number of times a certain behavior occurs.
• What is an advantage of event sampling?

  It is good for infrequent behaviors that are likely to be missed if time sampling was used.