Matching: Observational research

Transcription

1 Matching: Observational research 1 When is it deemed acceptable to observe without consent? In a public place where participants would normally expect to be observed by strangers These factors should always be considered in observational research Local customs and norms, gender and religious issues What is meant by observation as a technique? The use of observation as part of another method, e.g. experiment Observation as a method usually refers to this type of use The observation of naturally occurring behaviour, without manipulation An observational study in which participants act out parts 15

2 A role play An observation of participants re-creating a complete social setting A simulation Recording what participants say when they have been asked to talk or think aloud Verbal protocol A way of indirectly observing and analysing the communications that people produce (it could be used to analyse media or interview content) Content analysis The type of observation being used when the participant is aware that his or her behaviours are being observed for research purposes Disclosed observation 16

3 The type of observation being used when the researcher becomes part of the group or situation that he or she is observing Participant observation The potential for personal, subjective interpretation of the behaviours being observed Observer bias The methods often used to record and structure the data gathered in an observational study Coding systems, or categories, or pre-designed rating scales Some solutions to the problem of missing behaviour that might occur if a researcher is recording data while simultaneously observing it Use of sound or visual recordings; use of more than one observer A problem that must be controlled for if there is more than one observer 17

4 Inter-observer reliability Some reasons why the observational method might be used instead of laboratory experiments If it were inappropriate to experiment, e.g. with children or animals, to establish whether or not the subject warrants experimental investigation Reasons why replication in naturalistic observations is poor Researchers have no control over settings, and in the real world no two sets of circumstances reoccur exactly What does time interval sampling Observing and recording what happens in a series of fixed time intervals What does time point Observing and recording behaviour that occurs at a series of given points in time 18

5 What does event Observing and recording a complete event each time it occurs What does behaviour Choosing what to observe and how to record it 19

6 Teacher answers When is it deemed acceptable to observe without consent? In a public place where participants would normally expect to be observed by strangers An observation of participants re-creating a complete social setting A simulation These factors should always be considered in observational research Local customs and norms, gender and religious issues Recording what participants say when they have been asked to talk or think aloud Verbal protocol What is meant by observation as a technique? The use of observation as part of another method, e.g. experiment A way of indirectly observing and analysing the communications that people produce (it could be used to analyse media or interview content) Content analysis Observation as a method usually refers to this type of use The observation of naturally occurring behaviour, without manipulation The type of observation being used when the participant is aware that his or her behaviours are being observed for research purposes Disclosed observation An observational study in which participants act out parts A role play The type of observation being used when the researcher becomes part of the group or situation that he or she is observing Participant observation 20

7 The potential for personal, subjective interpretation of the behaviours being observed Observer bias Reasons why replication in naturalistic observations is poor Researchers have no control over settings, and in the real world no two sets of circumstances reoccur exactly The methods often used to record and structure the data gathered in an observational study Coding systems, or categories, or pre-designed rating scales What does time interval sampling Observing and recording what happens in a series of fixed time intervals Some solutions to the problem of missing behaviour that might occur if a researcher is recording data while simultaneously observing it Use of sound or visual recordings; use of more than one observer What does time point sampling Observing and recording behaviour that occurs at a series of given points in time A problem that must be controlled for if there is more than one observer Inter-observer reliability What does event Observing and recording a complete event each time it occurs Some reasons why the observational method might be used instead of laboratory experiments If it were inappropriate to experiment, e.g. with children or animals, to establish whether or not the subject warrants experimental investigation What does behaviour sampling Choosing what to observe and how to record it 21