OBESERVATIONAL DESIGNS

• Observational Design


  When designing the observation, the observer has to decide the exact behaviour that they are looking for and how it will be recorded
• Ways data can be gathered in observational design

  • Audio recordings
  • Visual recordings (videos and photographs)
  • On-the-spot note taking
• Observational Design


  • The choice of behaviour to record and how they are measured
• Behaviour Categories


  Operationalised behaviours that the observers will be looking for
• Developing Behaviour Categories


  1. Researchers agree on the behaviours that should be recorded

  2. Create codes for behaviours relevant to what is being studied
• Operationalised


  Making behaviour categories specific so the behaviour recorded cannot be confused with anything else
• Behaviour Categories


  • ABL = Aggressive body language
  • AGL = Aggressive language
  • AGB = Aggressive behaviour
  • NABG = Non-aggressive behaviour
• Sampling Procedures


  • Time sampling
  • Event sampling
• Time Sampling


  The researcher records all behaviours for a set time frame, at a set point
• Event Sampling


  The researcher records/tallies every time a behaviour (from the behaviour categories) happens
• Time Sampling


  • Allows flexibility to record behaviour and opportunity to record unexpected behaviours
  • Can miss behaviours that do not happen within the set time
• Event Sampling


  • Records all behaviours that are included in the behaviour categories
  • Relevant behaviours not on the categorised list may be missed
• Inter-observer Reliability

  The level of consistency between 2 or more trained observers when they conduct the same observation
• Establishing Inter-observer Reliability


  1. Observers agree on the list of behaviour categories and how they will record them before the observation

  2. Observation conducted separately by each observer

  3. Compare the two independent data sets and test the correlation using a statistical test
• Correlation Coefficient


  The result of testing the inter-observer reliability, must pass a threshold of +0.8 or 80% consistency to be considered a good/high level
• Inter-observer reliability means it is less likely to have observer bias and therefore, can be a valid representation of behaviour