👁 What people do
Actions such as sharing, pushing, queuing, waving or walking away. The observer can also count how many times each action happens.
Observations » Observation as a Research Method
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Cambridge spec: 7.2.1, 7.2.2
- What an observation is as a research method
- What a researcher can record when they watch participants
- When observation is the best choice of method
- How to apply observation to a new scenario
From this lesson on you are in the Paper 2 Section D part of the course: non-experimental methods (20 marks), which also covers sampling, validity, reliability, ethics, planning research and data handling.
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Unlock This CourseWhat is an observation?
In the last few lessons you learned about experiments, where the researcher changes a variable on purpose. Not all psychology works like that. Sometimes the best way to find out about behaviour is simply to watch it happen. This is called an observation.
Imagine a researcher who wants to know how toddlers behave when a new child joins their nursery group. They sit quietly at the side of the room and watch what the toddlers do. They are not asking the toddlers anything and they are not setting up a test. They are collecting data by watching.
Key terms:
- Observation: a method of collecting data by watching participants.
Learn this
An observation is collecting data by watching participants. The data comes from what the researcher sees (and hears), not from what participants say about themselves afterwards.
You do not need to know about different types of observation yet. Other lessons in this topic look at those, so here we focus on the method itself. If you want to remember how watching can also be used to measure a dependent variable inside an experiment, look back at Independent and Dependent Variables.
What can be recorded?
An observer can record anything about participants that can be seen or heard. This is what makes observation a method for studying behaviour.
💬 What people say
Words and sounds, such as how often a child says "please", or how many times a customer asks for help.
⏱ When and for how long
The observer can note the time a behaviour happens and how long it lasts, for example how many seconds a pupil looks at their phone.
🙂 How people look and act together
Facial expressions, body language and interactions, such as who talks to whom and who stands alone.
Worked example
A researcher watches a school canteen queue for twenty minutes. They write down how many pupils let someone go in front of them, how many pupils push in, and how long each pupil waits.
Recorded by watching: actions (letting someone in, pushing in), a count (how many of each) and a time (how long each pupil waits).
Notice what an observer cannot see directly: thoughts and feelings. A pupil might let someone in because they are kind or because a teacher is watching. The observer records the behaviour and has to be careful about explaining why it happened.
When is observation the best choice?
Observation is not the right method for every study. It is the best choice in situations like these:
- The behaviour itself is what you want to study. If the question is "what do people actually do?", watching them gives you direct evidence.
- Participants cannot explain their behaviour. Very young children may not be able to answer questions or fill in a form, but they can be watched.
- Participants might not give accurate answers. People often forget what they did, or say what sounds good. Someone might claim they always tidy up after themselves, but watching would show whether they do.
- The behaviour happens in a real place. Behaviour at a bus stop, in a library or in a playground can be recorded as it happens.
Worked example
A researcher wants to find out how often teenagers hold the door open for the person behind them at a shopping centre. Asking teenagers might give answers like "I always do". Watching the doors for two hours and counting what happens gives the real number.
Observation is the best choice here because the researcher wants to know what people do, not what they say they do.
Applying it to a new scenario
In the exam you may be given a short scenario and asked to explain how observation could be used or why it is a good choice. A good method is: 1) say what behaviour the researcher is interested in, 2) say what they could watch for and record, 3) give a reason why watching suits this study.
Worked example
A researcher wants to study how four-year-olds react when they lose a board game.
Behaviour of interest: reactions to losing.
What to record: crying, shouting, throwing pieces, walking away, and how long each reaction lasts.
Why observation suits it: four-year-olds may not be able to describe their feelings in a questionnaire, and watching shows what they really do.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes
- Describing an experiment. In an observation the researcher watches and records. They do not need to set up conditions or manipulate an IV.
- Saying the observer records thoughts. The observer records what can be seen and heard, such as actions, words and expressions.
- Being vague. "They watch the people" gains no marks. Say exactly what behaviour is recorded, for example "the number of times a child shares a toy".
- Adding types you are not asked about. You will not be asked about participant or non-participant, or controlled or naturalistic observation. Stick to the features of observation itself.
Exam-style question
A researcher wants to find out how often passengers give up their seat on a crowded bus for someone who is older or less able to stand.
(a) Describe what is meant by an observation. [1 mark]
(b) Describe two behaviours the researcher could record in this study. [2 marks]
(c) Explain why observation is a suitable method for this study. [2 marks]
Model answer
(a) A method of collecting data by watching participants (1).
(b) Any two from: the number of passengers who give up a seat (1); the number of passengers who stay sitting (1); how long it takes before someone offers a seat (1); what passengers say when they offer a seat (1).
(c) The researcher wants to know what passengers actually do (1). If passengers were asked, they might say they always give up their seat when they would not, so watching gives a more accurate record of their behaviour (1).
Exam tip
When asked why observation is suitable, link your reason to the scenario: say what behaviour is being studied and why watching it is better than asking people about it.