Observational Design

• There are three types of observation:

  • Type 1: Environment; naturalistic or controlled
  • Type 2: Participant or non-participant
  • Type 3: Covert or overt
• Type 1 observation


  A naturalistic observation takes place in the environment which the behaviour would typically take place, whereas a controlled observation is an artificial environment in which the behaviour would not typically occur.
• Type 2 observation


  A participant observation is when the observer is someone who is also participating in what is being observed. A non-participant observation is when the observer is not participating in what is being observed.
• Type 3 observation


  Covert means participants are not aware they are being observed and behave more naturally, however it can be intrusive. Overt means participants are aware they are being observed and can give consent to participate, but may display demand characteristics.
• A structured is when researchers use behavioural categories and sampling to organise the findings of research.
• When conducting a structured observation, researchers can organise findings through observationalisation which covers all possible components and is objective with no inferences made about the behaviour.
• When conducting a structured observation, researchers can organise findings through event and time sampling. Event sampling records the number of times something has happened. Time sampling records the behaviour at a given time frame.
• An unstructured observation is when researchers record observations however. This will provide rich information which can be used as a pilot study to see what kind of behaviour can be recorded in a structured observation. However, this is highly subjective as researchers record what is most eye-catching which may be irrelevant.
• Observations: Reliability

  An observation should be consistent, with at least 2 observers who provide the same results which would create inter-observer reliability (if over 80% agreement). To improve reliability, observers should be trained to effectively record findings, practice and discuss their findings.
• Observations: Validity


  There is high external and ecological validity for observations as they involve natural behaviours, however population validity may be a problem if participants are only observed in one environment. Internal validity may be compromised if the recording system is flawed because findings will be unreliable. To improve validity, researchers can conduct observations in varied settings which make the findings more generalisable.