Unit 1 Research Methods (can be examined in Unit 1&2) Observation Studies Unit 1 Research Methods (can be examined in Unit 1&2)

Observation Studies Collecting data by watching and recording the behaviour of people On its own it’s not an experimental method – there is no IV and DV – no cause or effect BUT, this technique can be used in experiments as a way of measuring the DV Observation studies can be: Natural or controlled Overt or covert Participant or non-participant

Categories of behaviour Researchers need to agree on categories of behaviour so that observers agree what to record. Target behaviour: “Playground behaviour” Categories of behaviour: Running, Hopping, Skipping, Standing, Target behaviour: “Use of the pedestrian crossing outside school” Categories of behaviour: Target behaviour: “Aggression at a Football Match”

Interobserver Reliability Observational studies should be carried out by more than one researcher to avoid researcher bias Researchers agree categories of behaviour before the observation They compare data after the observation – it should match exactly If it doesn’t match they need to review the categories of behaviour

Evaluation: Strengths Weaknesses

Evaluation: Strengths Weaknesses Better than interviews and questionnaires at getting a reliable picture of human behaviour – more valid People act naturally – more valid data, higher ecological validity Ethical issues – right to privacy and consent Observer bias – observer’s prior ideas might influences what they see or hear Just because a researcher observes a behaviour, they can’t tell why it’s happened

Your task: Use observation to watch and record the flirting behaviour in the common room Aim – to observe flirting behaviour in male-male, male-female, and female-female groups Target behaviour: “Flirting” Categories of behaviour:

Task: Questions on page 87

Stanford Prison Experiment