Observations

• naturalistic

  take place in a context where target behaviour would usually occur, all aspects of environment are free to vary
• controlled

  there is some control over variables (e.g. affects of IV on DV and some control of Evs)
• covert observations

  • behaviour may be recorded first without obtaining the consent of the participants
  • participants are unaware that they are the focus of the study, and their behaviour is observed in secret
  • behaviour must be public and happening regardless of the investigation
• overt observations

  when participants know their behaviour is being observed and have given their informed consent beforehand
• participant observation

  • the observer becomes part of the group
• non participant

  researcher remains seperate from those they are studying and records behaviour in a more objective manner
• unstructured

  • write down everything that you see, which produces accounts of behaviour that are rich in detain
  • appropriate for small scale observations
  • may help inform for categories for future research
• structured observations

  simplifying the target behaviour of the main investigation. this requires a pre-determined list of behaviours to produce quantifiable behaviours
• behavioural categories

  • target behaviours need to be broken down into behavioural categories
  • don't need to be precisely defined
  • the measurable, self-evident and unambiguous
  • there must not be a dustbin category or categories that overlap