PSYB01H3 Final: B01 FINAL NOTES
B01 FINAL NOTES
Week 06 Reading Notes
Chapter 6: Observational Methods
• Bc behaviour varies so much and occurs in so many settings, social scientists
have developed many ways of observing it
Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches
• QUANTITATIVE/EMPIRICAL APPROACH: using the scientific method,
which involves developing theories, generating hypotheses to test those
theories, designing experiments or non-experiments to test those
hypotheses, operationally defining variables, collecting numerical data from
many participants, and analyzing those data using stats
• QUALITATIVE/INTERPRETIVE APPROACH: offers deep description of
peoples behaviour in natural settings, people describing their world in their
own words, collecting in-depth info on relatively few people with within a
very limited setting, and conclusions that are based on careful
interpretations drawn by the investigator
o There is a great variety in the research paradigms and sets of rules
captured by the term qualitative
• Qualitative data is expressed in non-numerical terms, using lang and images
• The quantitative approach requires stat analysis (and numerical data),
whereas the qualitative approach involves interpreting peoples experiences
within a specific context
• The choice to use the qualitative or quantitative approach (or both) depends
on the kind of training your received as a student
• A thorough understanding of behaviour will likely require both qualitative
and quantitative ways of knowing
Naturalistic Observation
• NATURALISTIC OBSERVATION: researchers make observations in a
particular natural setting/field; observations are typically made over an
extended period of time using a variety if info-collection techniques
o Often used with qualitative approach
o Used when you want tot describe and understand how people in a
social or cultural setting, live, work, and experience setting
Description and Interpretation of Data
• Naturalistic observation requires that researcher immerse themselves in the
situation
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• The goal is to provide a complete and accurate picture → to achieve this, the
researcher must keep detailed field notes
• Qualitative researchers use a variety of techniques to gather info: observing
people and interviewing key informants to provide inside info, talking to
people about their lives, and examining docs produced in the setting
• Researchers who conduct naturalistic observation usually use audio and
video recordings
• The researchers describes the setting, events, and persons observed and
then interpret what was observed
o Depending on the qualitative approach used, this interpretation may
involve identifying common themes or developing a theory with
hypotheses for future work
o The final report might reflect the chronological order of events or can
be organized around the theory developed by the researcher
o Specific examples of events that occurred during observation are used
to support the researchers interpretations
• A good naturalistic observation report will support the validity of the
interpretation by using mult confirmations
• The published qualitative report includes specific observations and the
researchers interpretations
• Data from naturalistic observation studies are primarily qualitative
descriptions of the observations rather than quantitative statistical summaries
o Such qualitative descriptions are often richer and closer to the
phenomenon being studied than are statistical representations
• Quantitative data can also be gathered in a naturalistic observation study
o Data can be gathered on easily quantifiable variables like income, fam
size, edu levels, etc.
o A researcher using a mixed approach might report and interpret such
quantitative data along with qualitative data gathered from interviews
and direct observations
• Researchers using a fully quantitative approach may use naturalistic
observation to collect data that they later translate into numerical data using
a coding system
Issues in Naturalistic Observation
Participation and Concealment
• Researcher may choose to be a participant or nonparticipant in the social
setting and may choose to conceal their purposed from others in the setting
• A nonparticipant observer is an outsider who doesnt become an active part
of the setting
• A participant observer assumes an active, insider role
• PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION: allows the researcher to observe the setting
from the inside
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o The researcher may be able to experience events in the same way as
natural participants
• Friendships and other experiences of the participant observer may yield
valuable data, particularly from a qualitative perspective where the
researcher aims to completely describe the context
• A potential prob with participant observation is that the observer may lose
the objectivity necessary to conduct scientific observation
o Remaining objective may be hard when the researcher already
belongs to the group being studied
o If a researcher has some prior reason to find fault with people in the
setting or to report only pos behaviour of a group, theres great risk
that the observations will be biased and conclusion will lack
objectivity
• The presence of the observer may influence and alter behaviour of those
being observed
• CONCEALED OBSERVATION: less reactive than nonconcealed observation bc
people are not aware that their behaviours are being observed and recorded
• People seem to forget about begin observed and spontaneously reveal their
behaviours
• Choosing to use concealed observation depends on ethical concerns and the
nature of the group and setting being studied
o Sometimes a participant observer is non-concealed to certain
members of the group, who give the researcher permission to be part
of the group as a concealed observer
o A concealed observer usually decides to say nothing directly about
their purposes but will completely disclose the goals of the research if
asked by anyone
• Nonparticipant observers arent concealed when they gain permission to
hang out in a setting or use interview techniques to gather info
• Degrees of participation and concealment:
o A nonparticipant observer may not become a member of the group,
but may over time become accepted as a friend or simply part of the
ongoing activities of the group
o Researchers who use naturalistic observation to study behaviour
must carefully determine what their role in the setting will be
• Observation in public places when anonymity is not threatened is considered
EXEMPT RESEARCH
o Informed consent is usually unnecessary but researchers must still be
sensitive to ethical issues when conducting naturalistic observation
▪ Must consider whether the observations are made in a public
place with no clear expectations that behaviours are private
▪ i.e. personal facebook page is public or private?
Defining the Scope of the Observation
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Document Summary
Chapter 6: observational methods: bc behaviour varies so much and occurs in so many settings, social scientists have developed many ways of observing it. Defining the scope of the observation: a researcher employing naturalistic observation may want to study. Sampling: researchers must make decisions about how to sample behaviours, for many research questions, samples of behaviour taken over a long period provide more accurate and useful data than single, short observations. Individs with particular types of brain damage can allow researchers to test hypotheses: case studies are valuable for informing us of conditions that are rare or. Archival research unusual and provide unique data about some psych phenomena like memory, language, or social exchange. Insights gained through a case study may lead to the development of hypotheses that can be tested using other methods: extreme caution must be taken when interpreting the results of a case study. The archives allow them to access such samples to test their ideas.
