AWA: Academic Writing at Auckland
Title: Report of observation of two different behaviours
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Copyright: Yan Lei
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Description: Description of behaviours and observation contexts, observational procedures, and interobserver agreement calculation.
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Writing features
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Report of observation of two different behaviours
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PART ONE: EVENT RECORDING Behaviour and context The behaviour observed was hand swapping on a microphone. Hand swapping on a microphone was defined as when an individual removes the hand that he/she was using to hold a microphone and uses his/her other hand to hold the microphone instead. Observations of the behaviour were made while watching a fourty-five minute clip of Russell Peters (a well-known comedian) performing a live show about race. The clip was downloaded from Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phLXDCOWWEE&feature=fvsr. Observational procedures Six separate observations of the behaviour were made, each lasting five minutes in length. Since the clip displayed the elapsed time of the show at the bottom of the screen, this time was used to keep track of the length of each observation period. The first observation period consisted of the first five minutes of the clip, and the following observation periods began two minutes after the previous observation period, so that the second observation period was 7-12 minutes of the clip, the third observation period was 14-19 minutes of the clip, the fourth observation period was 21-26 minutes of the clip, the fifth observation period was 28-33 minutes of the clip, and the sixth observation period was 35-40 minutes of the clip. The clip was downloaded from Youtube and watched on the computer. The observations were conducted by myself in the evening on the 6th August. To obtain a measure of interobserver agreement, I described the behaviour to my partner exactly the way it was defined above and asked him to record the number of microphone swaps simultaneously with me during the first observation period. Although we had to be close in proximity to watch the clip, I hid my recordings from him so he would not be biased by the number of ‘events’ of the behaviour that I recorded. The second observer and I both recorded the number of ‘events’ of the behaviour on separate tables that I drew up on refill paper before viewing the clip. Notations of the occurrence of the behaviour were recorded by hand and total occurrences of the behaviour for each observation period were calculated during the two minute intervals in between the observation periods. The data sheets and a graph of the observations (Figure 1) are included in the following pages. Interobserver agreement IOA = (smaller count ÷ larger count) × 100 = (7 ÷ 7) × 100 = 100%
PART TWO: INTERVAL RECORDING Behaviour and context The behaviour observed was writing. Writing was defined as when an individual puts the led-end of his/her pencil to paper (so contact is made) and produces letters or numbers. Observations of the behaviour were conducted on my seven-year-old niece while she was doing her homework at her desk in the evenings. Observational procedures Six separate observations of the behaviour were made, each five minutes in length. Two observations were conducted a day, one from 5pm and one from 5.15pm, from the 9th August to the 11th August. Each observation period was divided into consecutive ten and five second intervals, so that observations could be made during the ten second intervals and recordings of the occurrence of the behaviour (during the previous ten second interval) could be made during the five second intervals. To keep track of the intervals, my sister was given a watch and asked to tap my back gently (so as to not disturb the behaviour of my niece) every time an interval ended over the five minute period. A partial-recording method was used, where the behaviour was recorded as having occurred if it occurred at any time during the interval. If the behaviour lasted longer than ten seconds and carried into the next ten second interval (after the five second recording interval), two occurrences of the behaviour was counted. The observations were conducted by myself. Although I sat on a chair fairly close to my niece, I kept quiet and still to minimize any effects my presence may have had on her behaviour. To obtain a measure of interobserver agreement, I described the behaviour to my partner exactly the way it was defined above, explained the partial interval recording procedure to him, and asked him to simultaneously record the occurrence or non-occurrence of the behaviour for each ten second interval during the first observation period. Although the second observer sat on a chair that was close in proximity to me to ensure we had similar angles from which to observe the behaviour, I hid my recordings so he would not be biased by my observations. The second observer and I both recorded the occurrence or non-occurrence of the behaviour within each ten second interval on separate tables that I drew up on refill before the observation periods. Notations of the occurrence or non-occurrence of the behaviour within each interval were recorded by hand, where a tick denoted the occurrence of the behaviour and a cross denoted the non-occurrence of the behaviour. It is important to note that the five second recording intervals were omitted from the table. Calculations of the number and percent of intervals of occurrence and non-occurrence of the behaviour were calculated after the observation periods. The data sheets and a graph of the observations (Figure 2) are included in the following pages. Interobserver agreement IOA = (agreements ÷ (agreements + disagreements)) ×100 = (20 ÷ (20 + 0)) ×100 = 100% |
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