Observational Research Observation Naturalistic Systematic Case studies Archival research
Observational Research Observation
Naturalistic Systematic
Case studies Archival research
Observing Behavior: Descriptive Research
Descriptive research involves the direct observation and description of behavior.
If people know they are being observed, their behavior may change. This is called reactivity.
Naturalistic Observation Charles Darwin’s
voyage on the HMS Beagle (the basis for his theory of natural selection)
Naturalistic Observation Jane Goodall's study
of chimpanzees
Participant Observation Participant observation -- the person
collecting the data participates in the process being observed Disguised (covert) vs undisguised (overt)
Rosenhan (1973) On Being Sane in Insane Places
John Howard Griffin (1960) Black Like Me “I learned within a very few hours that no one was
judging me by my qualities as a human individual and everyone was judging me by my pigment. As soon as white men or women saw me, they automatically assumed I possessed a whole set of false characteristics (false not only to me but to all black men). They could not see me or any other black man as a human individual because they buried us under the garbage of their stereotyped view of us. They saw us as “different” from themselves in fundamental ways: we were irresponsible; we were different in our sexual morals; we were intellectually limited; we had a God-given sense of rhythm; we were lazy and happy-go-lucky; we loved watermelon and fried chicken… Always, in every encounter even with “good whites,” we had the feeling that the white person was not talking with us but with his image of us.
Criticisms of Participant Observation By joining the group, they change it in some way Groups are unaware they are being observed
May be unethical People don’t liked to be spied on, feel betrayed,
foolish Observer bias Hard to quantify unstructured data
Structured Observational Methods Structured
Quantitative methods in which behaviors are observed and recorded with objective system
Researcher must meticulously develop coding system Code things relevant to research Coding system is lens of research
Interrater reliability Extent to which the ratings of different observers are in
agreement
Structured Observational Methods
Gender differences & obedience to stop signs
(McKelvie & Schamer, 1988)
Men were as likely to obey (36%) as to disregard the stop sign (36%)
Women were more likely to obey (62%) than disregard the stop sign (16%)
Observational Research
Gender, group size, and amount of beer consumed (Geller, Russ, & Altomari, 1986)
Observed 56 females 187 males at local bars (university students)
Results Drank more in a group Males drank more than females
Function of container type
Observational Analysis: Coding System
Interaction Process Analysis Observational coding
system developed by Bales to measure 6 task and 6 socioemotional activities in a group
Case Studies An intensive description and
analysis of a single individual, organization, or event
Advantages: Informing us on rare, unusual
or noteworthy conditions not easily studied otherwise
Disadvantages: Causes cannot be identified
Case Study: Love Canal Levine’s study of Love Canal residents
Research Questions: Why did such an event occur? How did community leaders respond? How did residents cope?
Data sources: Reviewed historical records Newscasts & newspapers Public meetings Met & interviewed residents & officials
Case Study: Phineas Gage
September 13, 1848 Cavendish, Vermont Gage was a foreman for a railway construction
gang An explosion sent a 3’ 7” tamping iron through
his skull, landing 25 yards behind him
Case Study: Phineas Gage Went back to work several months later,
but his personality had changed He worked taking care of horses and
working on a farm for the next 11 years In February, 1860, he began to have
epileptic seizures and died May 21, 1860 His body was exhumed in 1867 so
scientists could study his skull
The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat
Dr P., was a successful musician
Dr P. could only recognize objects if he could make out a distinct feature. He recognized his brother
because of his big teeth Asked to identify a glove
‘A continuous surface…infolded on itself. It appears to have…five outpouchings, …’
Mistook his wife for a hat
Archival Research Using previously compiled information to answer research
questions Researcher doesn’t collect original data Analyzes existing information
Types of archival research data Statistical records Survey archives Written records
Examples sources: census data, hospital records, historical documents,
police reports, speeches made by politicians, marriage licenses, weather reports, outcomes of sporting events
Important Archival Findings Increased risk of cancer if exposed to
radiation, asbestos, vinyl chloride, etc.
Congenital malformation of infants if mother had German measles during pregnancy
Archival Research: Gurr (1968) Theory = violence rate related to a feeling of deprivation 1100 observations of violence collected from New York Times
Index, Newsyear (annual index of Facts on File), and the Africa Digest, Annual Register of Events in Africa, Hispanic_American Report, and several case studies published as books.
Quantitative indices of strife: number of participants, number of casualties, number of days it lasted, etc.
Quantitative indices of deprivation: economic downturns, political suppression, etc.
Found a significant relationship
Archival Research: Durkheim (1951)
Theory = suicide is related to lack of integration into a social group Codes for social group integration = religious, familial, political Obtained suicide rates from public records Results= suicide is lower in
Catholics married people people with children periods of national unification and fervor
Archival Research: Miller (1927)
Is there a general tendency to vote a candidate out of office whenever your personal budget is stressed (regardless of the actual cause)?
Index of stress = rainfall in agricultural regions Index of voting = candidate retained or replaced by opposing
candidate Period chosen 1825-1924 Results=
above average rainfall = candidates retained below average rainfall = candidates replaced