Structured observation
Cohen’s kappa is a measure of:
Inter-surveyor consistency
Intra-observer validity
Intra-coder validity
Inter-observer consistency
Inter-observer consistency
One of the problems encountered in structured observation concerns the degree of inter-observer consistency. The point is that we need to feel confident that separate observers do not see things so very differently from each other as to use different codes for essentially the same behaviour. Cohen’s kappa is a statistical measure of the degree of agreement between two people’s coding of the same situation, over and above what could have happened by chance. Naturally, the same observer might code the same things a little differently over time, so intra-observer consistency can also be a problem. These are problems of reliability, not validity.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 276, Key concept 12.3
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 276, Key concept 12.3
Inter-observer consistency One of the problems encountered in structured observation concerns the degree of inter-observer consistency. The point is that we need to feel confident that separate observers do not see things so very differently from each other as to use different codes for essentially the same behaviour. Cohen’s kappa is a statistical measure of the degree of agreement between two people’s coding of the same situation, over and above what could have happened by chance. Naturally, the same observer might code the same things a little differently over time, so intra-observer consistency can also be a problem. These are problems of reliability, not validity.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 276, Key concept 12.3
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 276, Key concept 12.3
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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
What is an observation schedule?
A. A set of explicit rules for assigning behaviour to categories
B. A timetable of days on which you plan to carry out your observation
C. A list of questions to ask your interviewees
D. A way of testing for measurement validity
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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