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Title: Research Methods - Observations
Description: Research methods good for A level - specifically designed for the G541 unit of the OCR specification but useful for all levels/boards of study
Description: Research methods good for A level - specifically designed for the G541 unit of the OCR specification but useful for all levels/boards of study
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Observation
Observation
All types of research involve some element of observation
...
For example, when we use self report measures we
observe the responses of the participants, when we carry out experiments we observe
the behaviour of our participants and so on
...
Observational studies therefore tend to be high in ecological validity as there is no
intervention and if the observer remains undetected the method avoids problems
with experimenter effects
...
There are a number of different types of observational studies including nonparticipant and participant observations, undisclosed observations and structured
and unstrucfured observations
...
A participant observation is a type of observational study where the observer is also a
participant in the activity being studied
...
A structured observation is where the researchers design a type of coding scheme to
record their behaviour
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An unstrucfured observation simply involves the researchers recording the behaviour
they can see
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http: //holah
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u k/page/observation/
Obsenration Methods
by Saul Mcleod 9published zots
Observation (watching what people do) would seem to be an obvious method of
carrylng out research in psycholory
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Controlled Observations
2
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Participant Observations
In addition to the above categories observations can also be either overt/disclosed
(the participants know they are being studied) or covert/undisclosed (the research
keeps their real identity a secret from the research subjects, acting as a genuine
member of the group)
...
However, they can often be very time consuming and
longitudinal
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The researeher decides where the observation will take
place, at what time, with which participants, in what cireumstances and uses a
standardisedprocedure
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Rather than writing a detailed description of all behaviour observed, it is often easier
to code behaviour according to a previously agreed scale using a behavior schedule
(i
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conducting a structured observation)
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Coding might involve numbers or letters to describe a characteristics, or
use of a scale to measure behavior intensity
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For example, MaryAinsworth used a behavior schedule to study how infants
respondedto brief periods of separation from their mothers
...
g
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Proximity and contacting seeking
z, Contaet maintaining
B
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Resistance to contact and eomforting
The observer noted down the behavior displayed during 15 second intervals and
scored the behavior for intensity on a scale of r to 7
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A
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Observation Methods
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o rg/o bse rvat io n
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through
a two-way mirror or
they arg secrefly filmed
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rt
Bindura to study
aggression in children (the
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orrur"ur
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Controlled observations are usuallv overt
the researcher explains the research aim
t9 the gr9up, so the participants t"i"*tt
ilG;rerved
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'rur"archer urroiaruoy direct
contact with the group, keeping a distande (e
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observing
behind u t***uy mirror)
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*
Strengths
r' controlled observations can bg
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asily replicated by other researchers
by using
the same observation schedule
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z' The data obtained from structured obre*rtio; ir
to
analyze as it is quantitative (i
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nu-merical) - *ukirrg
this a r"
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onsuming
method compared to naturalistic observations----
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resyrtinq in the findings u"i"s
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Limitations
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When participants t ro*ttuy u
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may act
differently
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observation Methods
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sim plypsychology
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htm I
Naturalistic Obsenration
Naturalistic observation (i
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unstructured observation) involves studying the
spontaneous behaviour of partieipants in natural surroundings
...
Cornpared with
conirolled/structured methods it is like the difference between studying wild animals
in a zoo and studying them in their natural habitat
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Kathy Sylva used it to
study children at play by observing their behaviour in a playgroup in Oxfordshire
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naturalistic observation is often used to generate new ideas
...
z
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These observations are often conducted on a micro (small) scale and may lack a
representative sample (biased in relation to age, gender, social class or ethnicity)
...
z
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This makes it diffrcult for another researcher to repeat the study in exactly the
same way
...
A further disadvantage is that the researcher needs to be trained to be able to
recognise aspects of a situation that are psychologically significant and worth
further attention
...
With observations we do not have manipulations of variables (or control over
extraneous variables) which means canse and effect relationships cannot be
established
...
If it were research on animals we would nownot onlybe
studying them in their natural habitat but be living alongside them as well!
This approach was used by Leon Festinger in a famous study into a religious cult who
believed that the end of the world was about to occur
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McLeod, S
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{2015)
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Retrieved from
www
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org/observation, html
tI
Participant observations can be either cover or overt
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The researcher's real identity and purpose are kept
concealed from the group being studied
...
On the other hand, overt is
where the researcher reveals his or her true identity and purpose to the group and
asks permission to observe
...
It can be difficult to get time / privacy for reeording
...
This means they have to wait until they are alone and reply on their memory
...
z
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There is always the danger that we will "see" what we expect (or want) to
see
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Thus reducing the validitv of their data
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Usually this will involve a method of sampling
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Event sampling
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All other types of
behaviour are ignored
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fime sampling
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9
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g
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The observer decides in advance the
pre-selected moments when observation will take place and records what is
happening at that instant
...
Observation Methods
...
org/observation
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si m
Mcleod,
S
...
(2015)
Title: Research Methods - Observations
Description: Research methods good for A level - specifically designed for the G541 unit of the OCR specification but useful for all levels/boards of study
Description: Research methods good for A level - specifically designed for the G541 unit of the OCR specification but useful for all levels/boards of study