Observational Techniques

Naturalistic Observation: Watching and recording behaviour in the setting within which it would normally occur.

Naturalistic Observation Eval: Have high external validity however lack of control over the research situation makes replication of the investigation difficult.

Controlled Observation: Watching and recording behaviour within a structured environment (Some variables are managed)

Controlled Observation Eval: This may produce findings that cannot be as readily applied to everyday life but confounding variables and extraneous variables may be less of an issue.

Covert Observation: Participants’ behaviour is watched and recorded without their knowledge of consent.

Covert Observation Eval: Removes the problem of demand characteristics and ensures natural behaviour which increases internal validity but this may affect ethics.

Overt Observations: Participants’ behaviour is watched and recorded with their knowledge and consent.

Overt Observation Eval: More ethically acceptable but the knowledge that they are being observed may influence their behaviour.

Participant Observation: The researcher becomes a member of the group whose behaviour he/she is watching and recording.

Participant Observation Eval: Researcher can experience the situation as the participants do, giving them increased insight into the lives of the people being studied which increases external validity, however, the researcher may lose objectivity.

Non-Participant Observation: The researcher remains outside of the group whose behaviour he/she is watching and recording.

Non-Participant Observation: Allows researchers to maintain an objective psychological distance from their participants but they may lose insight to be gained in a participant observation as they are too far removed from the people and behaviour they are studying.