Observational designs

What is there a focus on in a structured observation?

on a particular target behaviour

What is this target behaviour broken down into?

behavioural categories

Key features of behavioural categories?

observable, measurable and self-evident

Observable?

we can actually see/hear them

Measurable?

we can actually quantify/count them

Self-evident?

do not require personal interpretation

What do the specific behavioural categories need to be put into?

a checklist

Why do the specific behavioural categories need to be put into a checklist?

so you can tally how often you observe the behaviours

The two ways to record/sample behaviour in an observation?

event and time sampling

Event sampling?

start with a behaviour checklist, continuously observe behaviour and tally each time a behaviour category is seen

Time sampling?

start with a behaviour checklist, observe at set time intervals and tally each time a behavioural category is seen

Strength of event sampling?

doesn’t miss important behaviours

Disadvantage of of event sampling?

more time consuming as it involves continuous observation

Advantage of time sampling?

less time consuming - less observations required

Disadvantage of time sampling?

important behaviours may be missed - lower ecological validity