This chapter provides coverage on conducting observation studies. After reading this chapter, you should understand: When observation studies are most useful, distinctions between monitoring nonbehavioral and behavioral activities, strengths of the observation approach in research design, weaknesses of the observation approach in research design. | Chapter 8 Observation Studies McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This chapter provides coverage on conducting observation studies. Learning Objectives Understand . . . When observation studies are most useful. Distinctions between monitoring. nonbehavioral and behavioral activities Strengths of the observation approach in research design. Weaknesses of the observation approach in research design. 8- Learning Objectives Understand . . . Three perspectives from which the observer-participant relationship may be viewed. Various designs of observation studies. 8- How Our Brain Works “Once a pattern becomes predictable, the brain starts to ignore it. We get bored; attention is a scare resource, so why waste it on something that’s perfectly predictable.” Jonah Lehrer neuroscientist and author, How We Decide 8- PulsePoint: Research Revelation 3 The number of minutes the average cubicle dweller works before . | Chapter 8 Observation Studies McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This chapter provides coverage on conducting observation studies. Learning Objectives Understand . . . When observation studies are most useful. Distinctions between monitoring. nonbehavioral and behavioral activities Strengths of the observation approach in research design. Weaknesses of the observation approach in research design. 8- Learning Objectives Understand . . . Three perspectives from which the observer-participant relationship may be viewed. Various designs of observation studies. 8- How Our Brain Works “Once a pattern becomes predictable, the brain starts to ignore it. We get bored; attention is a scare resource, so why waste it on something that’s perfectly predictable.” Jonah Lehrer neuroscientist and author, How We Decide 8- PulsePoint: Research Revelation 3 The number of minutes the average cubicle dweller works before being interrupted by phone, e-mail, instant message, or social networking activities. 8- See the text Instructors Manual (downloadable from the text website) for ideas for using this research-generated statistic. Observation and the Research Process 8- Exhibit 8-1 depicts the use of observation in the research process. Selecting the Data Collection Method 8- Exhibit 8-2 Selecting an Observation Data Collection Approach 8- Exhibit 8-3 illustrates the selection of an observation data collection approach. This is discussed further on the following slide. Research Design How? Where? Task Details What? (event or time) When? Who? 8- The data collection plan specifies the details of the task. Who? The plan must specify what qualifies a person to participate as a subject of the observation. It must also assign responsibilities on the research side. What? The characteristics of the observation must be set as sampling elements and units of analysis. This is
