CHAPTER 6 OBSERVING BEHAVIOR

Approaches Observational methods can be categorized as Quantitative Qualitative

Naturalistic observation The description of animals or humans in their natural habitats The researcher makes observations in a particular natural setting over a period of time Has roots in anthropology and animal behavior

Naturalistic observation Description and interpretation of data Researcher must keep detailed notes to provide accurate picture A good report should have multiple confirmations of events Interrater reliability Data is usually qualitative Remember, what was INTERRATER RELIABILITY?

Naturalistic observation Issues Participation Should researcher participate? If so, should he/she be concealed the group being studies? Participation allows for Close observation Possible friendships that could help interpretation of data collected Drawback: loss of objectivity

Naturalistic observation Issues Concealment This approach may be preferred to preserve objectivity Attempts to rule out reactivity of behavior being observed Defining the scope of the observation Scope must sometimes be limited to relevant issues of the study Remember, what was REACTIVITY?

Naturalistic observation Limits Naturalistic observation cannot be used for all issues or phenomena Less useful for studying well defined hypotheses Field research is difficult to do Ever changing patterns makes data analysis difficult Some observations may be inconsistent Negative case analysis – revision of hypothesis and reexamination of data

Systematic observation The careful observation of 1 or more specific behaviors in a particular setting These observations are quantifiable Coding systems Used to measure behaviors Methodological issues Equipment – Reactivity – Reliability – Sampling – What would you use as a coding system for “what do people eat at the movie theater?” “correlation b/w anxious people and test scores”

Case studies Case study – provides a description of an individual Can also be a setting Psychobiography – type of case study where a researcher applies psychological theory to explain the life of an individual Done when an individual is rare or unusual Patient R.M.

Archival research Uses previously collected research to answer present research questions Statistical records Survey archives Written and mass communication records Content analysis of documents Who can think of a famous diary?

Describing personality and individual differences Measures are defined by each researcher The topic is complex NEO-PI (NEO personality inventory) Measures 5 dimensions of personality Used in educational, clinical, & counseling settings MMPI-II Vocational Interest inventory