Ainsworth’s strange istuation

Stage 1: mother an child enter the playroom

Stage 2: the child is encouraged to explore

Stage 3: Stranger enters and attempts to interact

Stage 4: Mother leaves while stranger is present

Stage 5 : mother neters and stranger leaves

Stage 6: Mother leaves

Stage 6: stranger returns

Stage 8: mother returns and interacts with child.

Why do we use observation?

Used if the researcher wants to study natural behaviour.

Observation as a scientific method involves making objective and systematic observations

What is to be recorded needs to be planned

Types of observations
Controlled: in a lab setting

Strengths: High control, can establish cause and effect

Limitations: artificial environment, may affect behaviour

Naturalistic: in a natural setting

Strengths: findings can be generalised to everyday life

Limitations: no control so therefore it difficult to establish cause and effect

Covert: takes place with PPs awareness

Strengths: results are more valid as behaviour is natural

Limitations: ethical issues due to lack of informed consent

Overt: takes place with full knowledge and awareness of PPs.

Strengths: Ethically sound

Limitations: PPs may not behave naturally

Participant: data gathered by researcher’s while being part of the observed group or situation

Strengths: increased validity and greater insight by being involved

Limitation: objectivity affected

No participant: data gathered “from a distance” without involvement of the psychologist.

Strengths: greater objectivity

Limitations: data may lack depth and richness e.g. motivation, feelings, emotional state of PPs.

Observational design

 Measurement and recording of behaviour must be planned to ensure validity and observer
bias
This is achieved by using coding systems to ensure observations are systematic and objective

 Researchers need to be clear about what the target behviour will look like
 To achieve this, they draw up a list of all possibilities, which creates the behavioural
categories .

Event sampling: records the number of times a behaviour occurs

Time sampling: records behaviour at standardised intervals. This should be used if the order of
behaviours is important.