Structured observation
What is an observation schedule?
A set of explicit rules for assigning behaviour to categories
A timetable of days on which you plan to carry out your observation
A list of questions to ask your interviewees
A way of testing for measurement validity
A set of explicit rules for assigning behaviour to categories
An observation schedule is the back-bone of structured observation. It specifies the categories of behaviour to be observed and how behaviour should be allocated to those categories through a coding frame. Bryman advises (p271) engaging in a bit of unstructured observation before constructing the observation schedule proper, to get a general feel for the likely range of behaviours observable. Many of the features and rules of structured interviewing can be seen to apply in structured observation as well.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 271, 272
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 271, 272
A set of explicit rules for assigning behaviour to categories An observation schedule is the back-bone of structured observation. It specifies the categories of behaviour to be observed and how behaviour should be allocated to those categories through a coding frame. Bryman advises (p271) engaging in a bit of unstructured observation before constructing the observation schedule proper, to get a general feel for the likely range of behaviours observable. Many of the features and rules of structured interviewing can be seen to apply in structured observation as well.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 271, 272
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 271, 272
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What did Salancik mean by “field stimulations”?A. Being immersed in the field can help to simulate the experience of your informants
B. Researchers can intervene in and manipulate a setting to observe the effects
C. Surveys conducted in the field are more effective than structured observation
D. Some researchers find their projects so stimulating that they have to lie down
LaPiere conducted a study of the way restaurant owners granted or refused access to a Chinese couple. This is an example of observing behaviour in terms of:
A. Individuals
B. Incidents
C. Short time periods
D. Long time periods
The key advantage of structured observation over survey research is that:
A. It does not rely on the researcher’s ability to take notes
B. The researcher is immersed as a participant in the field they are studying
C. It does not impose any expectations of behaviour on the respondents
D. It allows you to observe people’s behaviour directly
Which of the following is not a type of sampling used in structured observation?
A. Focal sampling
B. Scan sampling
C. Emotional sampling
D. Behaviour sampling
What is meant by the term “reactive effect”?
A. If people know they are being observed, they may change their behaviour
B. Research subjects may have a bad reaction to the drugs they are given
C. Researchers sometimes react to their informants’ behaviour with horror
D. The categories on an observation schedule may not be mutually exclusive
Cohen’s kappa is a measure of:
A. Inter-surveyor consistency
B. Intra-observer validity
C. Intra-coder validity
D. Inter-observer consistency
Which of the following is a problem associated with survey research?
A. The problem of objectivity
B. The problem of “going native”
C. The problem of omission
D. The problem of robustness
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