Behavioural categories

• Behavioural Categories


  When a target behaviour is broken up into components that are observable and measurable
• Event Sampling


  A target behaviour or event is first established then the researcher records this event every time it occurs
• Time Sampling


  A target individual or group is first established then the researcher records their behaviour in a fixed time frame e.g every 60 seconds
• Why are observational categories used?

  • There may be too much going on in a single observation for the researcher to record it all
  • It is necessary to simplify the target behaviours that will become the main focus of the investigation using behavioural categories
  • This is a structured observation
• Examples of observational categories

  • It is necessary to break the target behaviour up into a set of behavioural categories that should be precisely defined and made observable and measurable
  • For instance, the target behaviour ‘affection’ may be broken down into observational categories such as hugging, kissing, smiling and holding hands
  • Each of these behaviours must be observable
• Inter-observer reliability

  • Researchers should not conduct observational studies alone as single observers may miss important details or may only notice events that confirm their opinions or hypothesis
  • This introduces bias into the research process
  • To make data recording more objective and unbiased, observations should be carried out by at least two researchers and data from observers are compared to check for consistency e.g reliability
• How do you carry out inter-observer reliability?

  • Observers should familiarise themselves with the behavioural categories to be used
  • They then observe the same behaviour at the same time
  • Observers should compare the data they have recorded and discuss any differences in interpretations
  • Observers should analyse the data from the study
  • Inter-observer reliability is calculated by correlating each pair of observations made and an overall figure is produced
• AO3 Behavioural Categories: Structured and Unstructured Observations

  • Structured observations that involve the use of behavioural categories make the recording of data easier and more systematic
  • The data produced is likely to be numerical so analysing and comparing the behaviour observed between participants is more straightforward
  • Unstructured observations tend to produce qualitative data which may be more difficult to record and analyse but they benefit from more richness and depth of detail in the data collected
• AO3 Behavioural Categories

  • Although the use of behavioural categories can make data collection more structured and objective, it is important that such categories are as clear and unambiguous as possible
  • They must be observable, measurable and self-evident
  • Researchers should also ensure that all possible forms of the target behaviour are included in the checklist
  • Categories should be exclusive and not overlap
  • The difference between ‘smiling’ and ‘grinning’ would be very difficult to discern
• AO3 Behavioural Categories: Sampling Methods

  • Event sampling is useful when the target behaviour or event happens quite infrequently and could be missed if time sampling was used
  • If the specified event is too complex the observer may overlook important details if using event sampling
  • Time sampling is effective in reducing the number of observations that have to be made
  • Those instances when behaviour is sampled might be unrepresentative of the observation as a whole