observational

• Observational Research Methods


  A type of research method that involves observing people, behaviors, or processes without interfering with the situation being studied.
• Naturalistic Observation


  Observing behavior in a natural setting, without manipulating or controlling the environment.
• controlled observation involves researchers observing participants in a structured, often laboratory, environment where variables are carefully controlled to study specific behaviors
• covert observations is when the participants are unaware they are the focus of the study and their behaviour is observed in secret
• overt observations are when the participants know their behaviour is being observed and have given their consent before hand
• participant observation is when the observer becomes part of the group
• non participant observation is when the researched remains separate form those they are studying and record behaviour in a more objective manner
• unstructured recording of behaviour is when researchers record all relevant behaviour without using pre determined categories
• structured recording of data is a method of systematically observing and recording specific behaviour using pre set categories
• event sampling is counting the number of times a particular behaviour occurs in a target individual or group within a specific context
• time sampling is recording behaviour within a pre established time frame