structured vs unstructured observation

• Structured observations

  Involve the use of behavioural categories to make the recording of data easier and more systematic
• Data produced from structured observations

  Likely to be numerical
• Analysing and comparing behaviour observed between participants

  More straightforward with numerical data
• Unstructured observations

  Tend to produce qualitative data, which may be much more difficult to record and analyse
• Unstructured observations

  • Benefit from more richness and depth of detail in the data collected
  • Greater risk of observer bias as there are no objective behavioural categories
• With unstructured observations, the researcher may only record those behaviours that 'catch their eye' and these may not be the most important or useful
• a greater risk of observer bias with unstructured observations, as the objective behavioural categories that are a feature of structured observations are not present here
• observer bias: researcher may only record those behaviours that 'catch their eye' and these may not be the most important or useful