Exam 4: Observation

Although there is no hard-and-fast percentage of agreement that defines low interobserver reliability,in published research studies,researchers generally report interobserver reliabilities that are at least as high as

In psychological research,investigators sample individuals' behavior at different times or in different situations.The goal of sampling behavior is to

The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (r)can be used to measure interobserver reliability when

The degree to which a young child's dolls show signs of wear might indicate which dolls the child likes the best.This potential physical trace measure would be described as a

Researchers use time sampling to obtain

Probably the most important control over observer bias is

Two observers observe a child in the classroom every 30 minutes to record whether he is behaving aggressively.They use two categories for their observations: yes (aggressive)or no (not aggressive).Using the data presented below,answer the following question. Calculate and report the observers' interobserver reliability.

The extent to which findings from a study can be used to describe different populations,settings,and conditions is referred to as

When individuals are not aware of the presence of an observer,as when data from physical traces or archival records are analyzed,the observation is described as

Ethologists such as Diane Fossey (who studied mountain gorillas)use a technique to adapt animal subjects to the presence of an observer by gradually increasing the time they spend in the animals' environment.This technique is called

Read this description of a study and answer the question that follow. A reporter at a university newspaper sought to gather evidence about the quality of teaching at the university.For one week at the beginning of the semester she attended 5 different,large-lecture classes each day,each with a different instructor.She asked 4 other reporters to do this too (they all attended different classes),and she trained them regarding the ratings they would make.The reporters pretended to be students,but sat in the back of class so the instructor wouldn't notice their observations.Using 10-point rating scales,they rated each instructor on five dimensions: interesting,organized,informative,friendly,and respectful.They summarized their findings and reported that,in general,the quality of teaching at the university is very good. Identify one aspect of the procedures that would likely decrease any reactivity associated with the observations.

Read this description of a study and answer the question that follow. A reporter at a university newspaper sought to gather evidence about the quality of teaching at the university.For one week at the beginning of the semester she attended 5 different,large-lecture classes each day,each with a different instructor.She asked 4 other reporters to do this too (they all attended different classes),and she trained them regarding the ratings they would make.The reporters pretended to be students,but sat in the back of class so the instructor wouldn't notice their observations.Using 10-point rating scales,they rated each instructor on five dimensions: interesting,organized,informative,friendly,and respectful.They summarized their findings and reported that,in general,the quality of teaching at the university is very good. Identify one aspect of the procedures in this study that the reporter used to improve the reliability of the observations.

A researcher measures participants' speed to push a button on the computer when a stimulus is presented on the computer screen.Which of the following measurement scales describes this reaction time measure?

For both physical and psychological measurement,the lowest scale of measurement involves categorizing the stimulus into one of a number of discrete categories (e.g.,whether or not someone makes eye contact).This level of measurement is called

Researchers who analyze postings on Facebook to understand human behavior are aware that the information people choose to display about themselves may be biased.In terms of archival data,this represents the problem of

One step in the analysis of narrative records consists of identifying units of behavior according to specific criteria.This process is called

used participant observation to study psychiatric diagnosis in the context of a psychiatric hospital by having "pseudopatients" seek admission was to

To avoid observer bias,researchers may not tell the observers why observations are being made or the goals of the study.In this situation the observers are said to be

Of the following observational methods,which one does not use intervention by the researcher?

When a researcher plays an active and significant role in the situation in which behavior is being recorded and when the researcher conceals the fact that observations are being made,the study represents