Unit 1 – Data Collection

Intro:

Whatever the hypothesis, design and decisions about how to maximize internal and external validity, we need to go out and collect the data.  There are two basic types of behavioral data: observational (when researchers get data from watching participants behavior) and self-report (when researchers get data by asking participants prepared questions about their behavior, thoughts and/or feelings).

Goal:

This exercise will give you some more practice at identifying the major types observational data collection procedures and the major types of data collection settings

  • Data collection procedures

·       Naturalistic Observation – the participant isn’t aware of the data     collector or data collection

·       Undisguised Participant Observation – the participant know the data collector is there and may know that their behavior is being recorded

·       Disguised Participant Observation – the observer looks like someone who belongs in the situation and the participant does not know that their behavior is being recorded

  • Data collection Settings

·       Field Setting -- usually defined as “where the participants naturally behave”

·       Laboratory Setting – bring participants into the laboratory, usually to get the maximum internal validity and data collection accuracy

·       Structured Setting --  a “natural appearing” setting that promotes “natural behavior” while increasing opportunity for “control”

Topics:

There are six topics in this exercise:

  1. Identifying naturalistic observational procedures
  2. Identifying undisguised participant observational procedures
  3. Identifying disguised participant observational procedures
  4. Identifying field research settings
  5. Identifying laboratory research settings
  6. Identifying structured research settings

Reading:

The first several slides of this PowerPoint describe research hypotheses and specify the three major types -- we'll cover the rest of the slides during the next class. Prelude to Data Collection Lecture (pdf)

Exercise:

Go to the Psyc350 Canvas section, open the Modules & look in “Unit 1 Pink Things” --  complete the exercise titled  U1 – Data Collection Prelude

Due Date:

Please have this done before the next lecture -- we will be building on this information then!