1. Psychology Life Hack of the Week
Adopting a pet can help people with ‘treatment-resistant depression’: Pereira and Fonte (2018) found that symptoms significantly improved in a third of patients who adopted a pet (cat or dog). Those in a control group showed no reduction in symptoms.

2. Dedicated Improvement and Reflection Time
Note down your score for each question.
2. Add your grade and target grade.
3. Complete the reflection section, including EBI.
4. Make 1-3 improvements to your answers (e.g. re-write parts, answer questions, make corrections, etc.)
5. Highlight your improvements

3. Mini-whiteboard Quiz: Correlations
You will have 15 seconds to write down your answer to each question.
The first question will appear on the next slide.

4. Draw a perfect negative correlation.

6. What does this scattergram show?

7. A strong positive correlation.

8. What does a correlation coefficient of +0
What does a correlation coefficient of between height and weight mean?

9. There is a moderate positive correlation between height and weight.

10. Correlation or Experiment?
A researcher conducts a study to see whether time of day affects ability to remember.

11. Correlation or Experiment?
A researcher conducts a study to see whether time of day affects ability to remember.
EXPERIMENT

12. What kind of relationship?

13. What kind of relationship?
CURVILINEAR

14. (e.g. in a lab experiment)
Observation
Research Method
Research Technique
(e.g. in a lab experiment)

15. Naturalistic observations Controlled observations
Types of Observation
Naturalistic observations
Controlled observations
Take place in a natural situation - all variables are free to vary.
Some variables are controlled by the researcher.
Psych Lab

16. Types of Observation Vs
Participant
Non Participant
Overt Vs
Covert

17. Naturalistic Vs controlled Participant Vs non-participant
Read about/note the strengths and weaknesses of your allocated types of observation.
Be prepared to feedback information to the rest of the group.
Naturalistic Vs controlled
Covert Vs overt
Participant Vs non-participant
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18. High external validity – findings can be generalised to everyday life.
Lack of control – low replicability and EVs may affect behaviour.
High replicability
Low external validity.
Behaviour is natural – no participant reactivity (e.g. demand characteristics). Increases validity.
Raises ethical issues, e.g. informed consent, right to withdraw, etc.
Participants may not behave naturally – affects validity of findings.
More ethically acceptable.
Increased insight into behaviour – may increase validity.
May lose objectivity, decreasing validity.
Researcher may remain more objective.
Findings may lack insight into behaviour of those observed.

19. Participant or non-participant?
Name the type ...
Naturalistic or controlled?
Overt or covert?
1. Observing a chimpanzee colony in a zoo
2. Observing the different phases of sleep of participants in a sleep laboratory
3. Joining a religious cult to study the beliefs and practices of the group
4. Observing the aggressiveness of children in a day care setting.
Naturalistic, covert, non-participant
Controlled, overt, non-participant
Naturalistic, covert, participant
Naturalistic, covert, non-participant
Participant or non-participant?

21. Observational Design: Recording DataVs
Unstructured
Structured
The researcher writes everything down.
The researcher uses behavioural categories and sampling methods to structure.
Where do I start?

22. Recording Data: Behavioural Categories
Behavioural categories should be:
Operationalised (precise, observable, measurable)
Cover all behaviours
Mutually exclusive
Think of behavioural categories for observing aggression in siblings:
Kicking Pushing Shouting Swearing Hair-pulling
Punching Biting Spitting

23. Recording Data: Sampling Methods
Event Sampling:
Recording each time a specific behaviour occurs
Can observe specific behaviour that may be infrequent.
Complex behaviour may be over-simplified.

24. Recording Data: Sampling Methods
Time Sampling:
Recording behaviour at specific time intervals (e.g. every 30 seconds)
Reduces number of observations.
May miss important details outside time-scale
Don’t confuse sampling methods with sampling techniques!!

25. Observe the monkeys every 30 seconds for two minutes.
Time Sampling
Behaviour
Tally
Feeding
Resting
Climbing
Chasing
Self-grooming
Other grooming
Scratching
Observe the monkeys every 30 seconds for two minutes.

26. How reliable are your observations?

27. This reduces the objectivity and validity of observation
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Observation Bias:
This reduces the objectivity and validity of observation
Reduced by having 2 trained observers and comparing their observations – any differences can be discussed.
Can also calculate inter-observer reliability by correlating the pair’s observations – above +0.8 shows high reliability

28. There should be NO INVASION OF PRIVACY
Ethical Issues
The BPS states that, unless participants give consent, observations are only acceptable in public situations where people would normally be observed by strangers.
There should be NO INVASION OF PRIVACY
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29. Observations: Exam Practice
Complete the exam practice questions on page 8 of the lesson handout.
Page 8

30. Design a Study Plan and carry out a small-scale observational study
State the aim of the observation
Identify the type of observation
Note the behaviour of interest
Design a checklist/tally chart to record the behaviour
Say whether you will use event or time sampling
Note any ethical issues and how they will be dealt with
Note how you could check the reliability of your observation
Carry out your observation and briefly comment on your findings and any strengths and weaknesses of the study.

31. Roll with it … Roll the dice and answer the relevant question:
What is meant by the term observer bias?
What is the difference between event and time sampling?
Explain the ethical issues raised by observations.
Give one advantage or disadvantage of observational research.
How do psychologists check the reliability of their observations.
Identify a type of observation and give an example of it.