AO1

• What do observations refer to in research?

  Watching or listening to participants' behavior
• What are the types of observations in research?

  • Naturalistic or Controlled
  • Overt or Covert
  • Participant or Non-Participant
• What is a naturalistic observation?

  Observing without interfering in a natural setting
• What defines a controlled observation?

  Regulating some variables in the environment
• What is an overt observation?

  Participants are aware they are being observed
• What is a covert observation?

  Participants are unaware they are being observed
• What is a participant observation?

  Researcher is part of the group being observed
• What is a non-participant observation?

  Researcher watches behavior from a distance
• What are the two types of observational designs?

  • Unstructured Observations
  • Structured Observations
• What is an unstructured observation?

  Recording all relevant behavior without a system
• What is a problem with unstructured observations?

  Records may focus on obvious behaviors
• What is a structured observation?

  Using a system to organize observations objectively
• What are the two main ways to structure observations?

  1. Behavioral categories
  2. Sampling procedures
• What are behavioral categories in observations?

  Breaking behavior into different operationalized components
• What should behavioral categories be like?

  Objective, explicit, and mutually exclusive
• What is event sampling?

  Counting how many times a behavior occurs
• What is time sampling?

  Recording behaviors in specific time intervals
• What are self-report methods in research?

  • Techniques asking people about their thoughts and feelings
  • Main methods: questionnaires and interviews
• What is a questionnaire?

  A set of written questions for information collection
• What do questionnaires allow researchers to discover?

  What people think and feel directly
• What is a structured interview?

  Interview with predetermined questions and no deviation
• How is a structured interview conducted?

  In real time with direct questions and answers
• What is an unstructured interview?

  Interview with less structure and new questions developed
• What is a case study?

  A detailed study of a single individual or event
• What is the purpose of a case study?

  To look at unusual behaviors in detail
• What is a characteristic of case studies?

  They often follow individuals over extended periods
• What types of information do case studies use?

  Information from various sources, including interviews
• How are findings from case studies organized?

  Into themes representing thoughts and experiences
• What types of data may case studies include?

  Qualitative data and sometimes quantitative data
• What should behavioural categories be according to the study material?

  Objective, comprehensive, and mutually exclusive
• Why should behavioural categories be objective?

  To ensure observers record explicit actions
• What is the consequence of not covering all possible components in behavioural categories?

  It may lead to an 'other' category
• What does it mean for behavioural categories to be mutually exclusive?

  Behaviour should fit in one category only
• What should observers avoid when recording actions in behavioural categories?

  Making inferences about the actions
• What is the purpose of avoiding an 'other' category in behavioural categories?

  To ensure all behaviours are accounted for
• How can behavioural categories ensure clarity in observations?

  By being objective and mutually exclusive