observations

What is the difference between observation and expriment

Experiment has a cause and effect

It has high control and internal validity

You need an IV and DV

Observations and correlations are not exriments

Observations dont have cause and effect because they cant control variables (no independent variable)

What are observations effective for? What are they made up of?

Recording complex human behaviour.

Made up of combination of design factors and observations can be described in terms of which factors have been chosen.

What is the difference between a lab and natural observation

Lab takes place in a lab and allow the researcher to control the environment and manipulate some of the variables

Natural observations take place in the real world

What are the STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES of lab observations

Strengths - high control and often easier to record the information

Weaknesses - lacks ecological validity

What is the STRENGTHS and weaknesses of natural observation

Stengths - realistic and. Can study behaviours that would not be possible in the lab

Weakness - low control and harder to replicate

What is the difference between participant and non participant

Ppt observer where the observer actually participates in what they are observing

Non ppt observer - where the observer does not participate in the activities they are observing

What are the strengths and weaknesses of PPT VS NON PPT

PPT

• Will first hand see the fine detail and will experience emotions involved

• HARD TO SEE WHOLE PICTURE BECAUSE INVOLLVED AT FINE LEVEL OF DETAIL

NON PPT

Will be able to see the whole picture more clearly

MISS FINE DETIAL AND MAY NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHATS HAPPENING FROM PPT PERSPECTIVE

What is the difference between covert and overt observation

Covert is where the researcher is hidden and cant be seen

Overt is where the researcher is more publicly observing people

What are the strengths and weaknesses of COVERT AND OVERT

CCOVERT - people should behave more naturally

Issue of consent but not when observing in a public place

OVERT - MAY CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOUR due to Hawthorne effect ( unconsciously acting differentlyy) or social desirability bias( more conscious that they’re acting differentl)

WHATT are the 2 options in hw observations are sampled

Episodic or interval

What is episodic sampling

Behaviour categories are created and the each time one of the behaviours is seen it is recorded in a table or tally chart

What are the rules for creating behaviour categories

Exhaustive ( cover all categories of interest)

Mutually exclusive ( no overlap between categories) if not the researcher wont know what to tick off and it could lose validity and reliability

Categories should also be clear and easy to use

What is interval sampling

Time intervals are Hosen before the observation.

An alarm can be set to remind the observer to write things down

Whatever is happening when the alarm goe off is written down