Abstract
Systematic observation is a deeper and more analytical form of observation with the gathering and utilization of data or information. It is a quantitative research or observation of specific behaviors in a specific setting. As an example, this paper discusses the conduct of a systematic observation on a 10 year old child who is asked to play alone, with kids with the same age, with older kids, and then with adults. The researcher then observes the child’s behavior in all four settings or conditions to determine the differences in each setting. The research subject’s behavior is not only observed but also measured in order to provide accuracy with regards to the proposed hypotheses. The advantage of using systematic observation is the automatic generation of records during the process of observation (Ary, Jacobs, Razavieh, & Sorensen, 2009).
Introduction
Systematic observation “refers to the observation of behavior other than behavior that has been explicitly elicited by a predetermined and standardized set of stimuli” (Hintze et al., 2002, p. 993). Its approaches to behavioral observation are distinguished by the following characteristics: 1.) Its goal is the measurement of specific behaviors; 2.) The behaviors under observation are operationally defined in a precise manner a praori; 3.) The observations are objective in nature and are conducted under standardized procedures; 4.) The places and times for observation are carefully specified and selected; and 5.) The summary and scoring of data do not vary among the observers but are standardized (Hintze et al., 2002)
q There are certain disadvantages that are very hard to avoid when engaging in systematic observation. For example, the researcher might not be able to record rare events because of the low percentage of them occurring. It is also out of the observation method concept to orchestrate the entire setting just to show those rare events. One of the problems is the question of accuracy when generating all possible data and providing a broad explanation regarding the research subject or topic. There are different kind of behavioral observation, namely Naturalistic Observation and Contrived Observation. Naturalistic is simply observing the subject without interfering. On the other hand, Contrived Observation is a “set-up” observation where the researcher can device the entire setting to control the situation. The purpose of this research is to determine which of the three methods of observations is the most effective method for behavioral observation is. The hypothesis for this research would be:
Systematic Observation is more effective compared to Naturalistic Observation.
Systematic Observation is more effective compared to Contrived Observation.
Method
The participant for this research would be a 10-year old boy who will be placed in different situations and will be observed with regards to how he reacts in each setting or situation. The area where the research will take place is a central park, and the observation will be conducted from morning to afternoon, 8:00am to 4:00pm. The three settings would be different and will be in accordance to the individual or group of people who will accompany the 10-year old boy, another 10-year old boy, a 10-year old girl, and a group of teenagers with 2 boys and 2 girls. The researchers will conduct all three observations in order to generate more credible and expanded data, and from this be able to determine the most effective method out of the three. The operational definitions will also be categorized according to the three methods, and the definition that shows the better and broad results shall be determined.
Results
Naturalistic Observation
The 10-year old boy simply demonstrated normal behavior in the three settings. There are no special or rare events that occurred. However, the boy had problems communicating with the teenagers. maybe because of being shy. On the other hand, he initiated the conversation with the other boy but not with the girl. The results are not that promising.
Systematic Observation
In this method, the researcher managed to record the boy’s behavior, reactions, and emotions per hour. The results of this method showed more results compared to the naturalistic observation and was able to generate more data.
Contrived Observation
The entire setting was controlled, with the researcher interfering and immersing himself in the research subject and setting. This method managed to generate the thoughts of the boy in each setting, which was good for the research. However, the results are not that credible because of the orchestrated setting unlike the naturalistic and systematic observation settings.
Out of the three methods, it is finalized that systematic observation generated the most accurate data. It is a more analytical way of conducting an observation compared to the two. It also has a longer span for the process of observation, allowing for more data to be recorded.
Coding Procedures
The researcher used a camera recorder to shoot the entire observation for each setting. The videos were used to analyze the facial expressions and to determine if there is any productive conversation developing between the subject and the individuals or group of people who accompanied the boy. The coding and scoring procedures are beneficial mostly for the systematic observation because the recorded data showed chronological development with the research subject.
Discussion
With the final results, systematic observation showed a more promising level of effectiveness when it comes to observational research. However, this is a simple research concept and there was only one research subject, which implies that the results of this research cannot be generalized for all 10-year old kids. Future researchers might consider a research with more research subjects and who have different characteristics in order to obtain a wider set of data. They should also consider research subjects with different races, different religion, and different cultures.
The results showed the accuracy of the systematic observation. It was able to tackle the specific details with a longer duration for the research process. It is also able to break down data to expand the entire research.
References
Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., Razavieh, A. & Sorensen, C. (2009).Introduction to research in education (8thed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Hintze, J. M., Volpe, R. J., Shapiro, E.S. (2002). Best practices in the systematic behavior. Best
Pract. Sch. Psychol. 4: 993-1006.
