Observational Research
What are the two defining features of purely observational research?
No manipulation of variables and correlational design.
What is a “behavioral category”?
A clearly defined class of behavior to be observed, also called a coding scheme or ethogram.
What does interrater reliability measure?
Agreement between two or more observers.
What is ethnography?
Immersing the researcher in a social or behavioral setting for observation.
What is meta-analysis used for?
Statistically combining results from multiple studies.
What are the three main methods for quantifying behavior in observational research?
Frequency, duration, and intervals methods
What two methods can help researchers develop behavioral categories?
Preliminary observation and literature review.
What is the simplest method for assessing interrater reliability?
Percent agreement. (IOA)
What is sociometry used for?
Measuring interpersonal relationships within a group.
Statistically combining results from multiple studies.
It uses quantitative methods instead of narrative summaries.
What’s the main difference between recording single events and behavior sequences?
Behavior sequences record multiple actions in order to capture complex behaviors.
Why should categories be operationally defined?
To ensure clarity, replicability, and to reduce observer bias.
What does a Cohen’s Kappa of .70 indicate?
Acceptable reliability.
What is archival research?
Analyzing existing records (like police reports or medical data).
Name one drawback of meta-analysis.
Study quality varies or data may be incomplete.
Name two strategies for coping with complexity in observational research.
Time sampling, individual sampling, or event sampling.
What’s a key recommendation when creating categories for a study?
Keep categories simple and linked to your hypothesis.
What is a limitation of using Pearson’s r for interrater reliability?
Observers may correlate highly even when they disagree on specific ratings.
What is content analysis?
Analyzing written or spoken material for specific themes or categories.
What kind of data does meta-analysis help reduce errors in detecting?
Type II errors (false negatives).
What’s one major disadvantage of naturalistic observation?
It’s descriptive only, there is no causal inference can be made.
Why is it better to finalize categories before the study begins?
Adjustments are easier before data collection starts.
Which method uses an ANOVA approach and is considered powerful and flexible?
Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).
What type of data analysis uses NLP to extract meaning from text databases?
Information extraction or text mining.
Name one piece of information that should be included in a meta-analysis dataset.
Study design, sample characteristics, or effect sizes.