Evaluating Controlled Observation

Evaluating Controlled Observation

I conducted a controlled observation to monitor attitudes and reveal truths about what social activities do young people do in Banstead. I chose this method over natural /participant observations because I found that doing the controlled observation method was a lot easier to perform to this sort of research. Natural observation would have been difficult because it would’ve required me to monitor the people in their natural habitat, so that means having to go to the activities that they were going to and would’ve been difficult to keep an eye on them at all times. Another reason why I didn’t choose natural observation is that some people may not feel comfortable with a new person in the group which could make this experiment fail. Participant observation again would’ve been difficult to do because it would have again required me to get involved in what they were doing and would’ve been difficult to monitor them in that observation. 

I looked at existing experiments to come up with my own controlled observation so the experiment I looked at was the “marshmallow test”. It was developed by psychologist Walter Michel back in the 1960’s, the experiment was about studying pre-schoolers’ and the ability to delay gratification. The children were left in a room alone with a single marshmallow left in front of them and if they could refrain from eating that marshmallow the researcher would come back in the room to give the child two marshmallows. Overall this experiment helped me with my own experiment and gave me the idea of giving something physical to see how they would react to the material.

My table that I created for this controlled observation was fairly reliable. I think this because maybe I could’ve changed the wording slightly and maybe put different columns in to make the research go further, for example maybe change the column of “sarcastic remarks” to something different to help make the experiment go further. 

In order to make this research more valid, I could add an extra person to the observation which could reduce biasness which could make the research more valid and reliable. Another way to make the research more valid is to add more measurements to the table so then you won’t be grouping behaviours together.

The strengths of my observation was that I had a range of leaflets placed on the table for people to look at so I could do my observation as successful as possible. I had a range of different people who took a look at the leaflets and they reacted in all different ways which made my experiment very successful. The weaknesses of my observation are that maybe my table could’ve been updated more with more emotions and reactions towards the leaflets.

I found from my results that not many people found the leaflets very appealing to them but some people found them more appealing than others as they found the leaflets more appealing which made it very equal in what I found.

This is one of the tables in which I marked on one of the participants:

Rating out of 5 (1 being low and 5 being high)	Interest in Activity	Not interested in Activity	Looking at the leaflet and throwing it back down straight away	Laugh	Comments on the leaflet	Sarcastic Remarks
1				ü		ü
2			ü		ü
3		ü
4	ü
5

This table shows that the participant was intrigued about the leaflets and took it very seriously as they was showing that they was interested in the activities shown. 

In conclusion this research has forwarded my documentary because the results I found was very useful because it shows a range of views on what sort of activities there are in Banstead and some people found the leaflets very boring whereas some people found it very interesting and this research will definitely put forward my documentary.

Bibliography

Marshmallow Test: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/books/the-marshmallow-test-understanding-self-control-and-how-to-master-it-by-walter-mischel/2015716.article