Observational Research

observational research

• Refers to several different types of non-experimental studies in which  behavior is systematically observed and recorded

  • Goal is to obtain a snapshot of a specific characteristic of an individual, group, or setting

  • Nothing is manipulated or controlled

observational methods

• naturalistic observation

• tampering

• participant observation

• structured observation

• coding

• case study

naturalistic observation

• without intervention

  • Observer =  passive recorder

  • Natural setting: a place where behavior would occur normally 

  • Types of validity: external validity

tampering

• observation with intervention

  • Structured observation (laboratory setting)

participant observation

• when researchers become active participants in the group or situation they are studying

  • Can be undisguised or disguised

  • Possible drawbacks: 

    • Researchers may change the social dynamics and/or influence the behavior of the people they are studying

    • Researchers may become less objective

structured observation

• The researcher makes careful observations of one or more specific behaviors in a particular setting that is more structured than the settings used in naturalistic or participant observation

  • Emphasis is on gathering quantitative data rather than qualitative data

  • Researchers are interested in a limited set of these behaviors, which allows them to quantify these behaviors

coding

requires clearly defining a set of target behaviors

• participants are categorized individually in terms of which behavior they have engaged in and the number of times they engaged in each behavior

case study

in-depth examination of an individual (or small group)

benefits and drawbacks of obeservations

• Can make better self-reports

  • Making reliable and valid observations

• observer bias

• observer effects

• preventing observer bias and effects

observer bias

when observers see what they expected to see

observer effects

when participants confirm observer expectations

preventing observer bias and effects

• well-trained observers

• inter-rater reliability measure

  • what statistic is associated with this?

• masked research design

masked research design

observers are blind to hypotheses

reactivity

when participants react to being watched

• Solution 1: blend in (unobtrusive observations)

• Solution 2: wait it out (participant habituation)

• Threat to internal validity