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examBoard: AQA
examType: GCSE
lessonTitle: Observation Studies
Observation studies are a key research method in psychology where researchers systematically watch and record behaviour. Instead of asking people about their behaviour (like in questionnaires or interviews), psychologists directly observe what people actually do in real situations or controlled environments.
Key Definitions:
Observations let researchers see what people actually do rather than what they say they do. This helps avoid problems like social desirability bias (where people give answers they think sound good) and memory issues. Observations are especially useful for studying:
Before conducting an observation, researchers need to:
Observations can be classified in two main ways: by setting (naturalistic vs. controlled) and by observer role (participant vs. non-participant).
Naturalistic observation takes place in real-world settings where behaviour occurs naturally, without interference from the researcher.
Example: Observing children's play behaviour in a school playground.
Controlled observation occurs in settings where the researcher has some control over variables and conditions.
Example: Observing children's play behaviour in a laboratory playroom with specific toys.
Participant observation involves the researcher joining in with the group being studied, sometimes undercover.
Example: A researcher joins a football fan club to study group behaviour at matches.
Non-participant observation involves the researcher watching but not taking part in the activities being observed.
Example: A researcher sits in a corner of a classroom observing but not interacting with students.
Researchers can't usually record everything that happens during an observation period, so they use sampling techniques to decide what to record and when.
Observations are made at regular time intervals (e.g., every 30 seconds).
Good for: Behaviours that occur regularly throughout the observation period.
Example: Recording whether a child is on-task or off-task every 2 minutes during a lesson.
Specific events or behaviours are recorded whenever they occur.
Good for: Behaviours that occur infrequently or unpredictably.
Example: Recording every instance of a child sharing toys with others.
One individual is observed for a set time before moving to another.
Good for: Detailed observations of individual behaviour in groups.
Example: Observing each child in a playground for 5 minutes in turn.
There are several ways to record observational data, each with advantages and limitations:
Simple forms where observers tick or tally each time a behaviour occurs.
Advantages: Quick and easy to use; good for counting frequency of clearly defined behaviours.
Limitations: Doesn't capture quality or context of behaviours.
Observers rate behaviours on a scale (e.g., 1-5) for intensity or quality.
Advantages: Captures more detail than simple frequency counts.
Limitations: More subjective; different observers might rate differently.
Albert Bandura used controlled observation to study how children learn aggressive behaviour. Children watched adults either behaving aggressively or non-aggressively toward a Bobo doll (an inflatable toy). Researchers then observed the children's behaviour when left alone with the doll.
Observers used behavioural categories to record different types of aggressive acts (e.g., hitting, kicking, verbal aggression). This famous study showed that children who had seen aggressive models were more likely to behave aggressively themselves - demonstrating observational learning.
This study highlights how controlled observation can be used to test specific hypotheses about behaviour under controlled conditions.
For an observation to be valid, it must measure what it claims to measure. To improve validity:
For an observation to be reliable, different observers should get the same results. To improve reliability:
Observations raise specific ethical issues that researchers must address:
Should participants know they're being observed? Covert observation (where participants don't know) raises ethical concerns but sometimes is necessary to see natural behaviour.
Researchers must justify any decision not to get informed consent.
Observations should respect people's right to privacy. Public spaces are generally acceptable for observation, but private spaces require special consideration.
Always protect participants' identities in reports.
Researchers must ensure observations don't cause distress or harm to participants.
Consider what to do if you observe harmful or illegal behaviour during your observation.
Imagine you want to study helping behaviour in a school cafeteria. Here's how you might design your observation:
This example shows how you can apply observation methods to study everyday social behaviour in a systematic way.
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