Observations

• How to do observations

  • Structured
  • Unstructured
• How to do: strctured observation

  • Researcher decided what sort of behaviour they are looking for to devise a checklist
  • generates quantitative data like tally chart
• How to do: Unstructured observation

  • Researcher records all action
  • Can bw quantitative or qualitative data
  • Two observers, inter-rater increases accuracy
• Types of observations

  • Participant (Covert) observation
  • Non-participant (Overt) observation
• Covert - participant observation

  • Non-experimental method in which researcher is part of action they are obviously
  • Difficult to take notes while being involved
• Overt - non-participant observation

  • Type of non-experimental method
  • Observer watching or listening to behaviours of others
• Methods of observations

  • Behavioral categories
  • Sampling procedure
  • Event sampling
  • Time Sampling
• Behavioral sampling

  • Deciding what behaviour to study
  • In order to conduct systematic observation, break up behaviour into categories
• Sampling procedures

  • If unstructed: must record every instance of behaviour in detail
• Event sampling

  • Keeping count of each time a particular behaviour occurs in an individual
• Time sampling

  • Time studying for
  • decides on time intervals
• Evaluation of participant observations


  + Less chance of demand characteristics

  Enables research of those hard to observe

  -Less chance of observer bias

  
  

  -Observer bias may occur

  Unreliable findings as difficult to take notes, data relies on memory
• Evaluation of non-participant (Overt)

  +Less chabce of observer bias

  Researchers can see how participants behave rather than relying on self-reports

  -observer bias: it is difficult to make judgements on thoughts while participants know theyre being watched

  Unethical
• Improving reliability

  • Inter-rater: two observers watching same behaviour and produce exactly same data, if more than 80% agreement then data has inter-rater reliability