PSY 313 Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Participant Observation, Naturalistic Observation, Content Analysis
Document Summary
Typically involves measuring a variable or set of variables as they exist naturally. Not concerned with the relationships between the variables, but with the description of the individual variables. Researcher observes and records the behaviors of individuals. Behavioral observation- direct observation and recording of behaviors. Involves the subjectivity of the researcher when observing and measuring. Frequency method- counting the instances of specific behavior that occur during a fixed period of time. Duration method- recording how much time an individual spends engaged in a specific behavior during a fixed time period. Interval method- recording whether a specific behavior occurs during an interval of time. Time sampling- observing for one interval, then pausing for the next interval to record data. Event sampling- identifying one specific event/ behavior to record for the first interval, and a different behavior for the second interval and so on.
