Obeservational and Sampling in Traditional and Cultural Psychology Research
Sir Davi Mbelu
University of Phoenix
Introduction
In this paper attempt shall be made to compare multicultural and traditional psychology research methods with a view to examining observation and sampling as the variables of interest. However, these variables of interest shall be assessed in respect of how they are applied in cultural and traditional psychological research. In addition, the fundamental problems that may be encountered by the researchers during the implementation of the observation and sampling in cultural and traditional psychological research setting shall be addressed.
The major aim of observational methods as observed by some scholars is to describe behavior. Through the instrumentality of observational methods scientists as wholesomely and as clearly as possible strive to examine and describe human behavior (Shaughnessy, 2003). In a bid to reaching this goal researchers face go through huddles, as a result it becomes closely impossible for researchers to observe an individual’s behavior wholesomely. However, scientists employ and depend more on observing sample of people’s normal behavior. Observation is one good source of hypothesizing individual behavior as such it is seen as the first step in the right direction to unravel why people behave the way they do. For instance, research reports that temperament variations in early childhood are associated to notable adult behavior patterns (Shaughnessy, 2003). Culture reflects another setting in which behavior appear in various dimensions as cultures itself. Furthermore, scientists noted that in traditional and cross-cultural research, consummated assessment and descriptions of behavior demands that observations be conducted across various situations, time, and place (Shaughnessy, 2005). In situations in which accurate results of behavior is difficult, researchers tend to obtain a representative
University of Phoenix
Introduction
In this paper attempt shall be made to compare multicultural and traditional psychology research methods with a view to examining observation and sampling as the variables of interest. However, these variables of interest shall be assessed in respect of how they are applied in cultural and traditional psychological research. In addition, the fundamental problems that may be encountered by the researchers during the implementation of the observation and sampling in cultural and traditional psychological research setting shall be addressed.
The major aim of observational methods as observed by some scholars is to describe behavior. Through the instrumentality of observational methods scientists as wholesomely and as clearly as possible strive to examine and describe human behavior (Shaughnessy, 2003). In a bid to reaching this goal researchers face go through huddles, as a result it becomes closely impossible for researchers to observe an individual’s behavior wholesomely. However, scientists employ and depend more on observing sample of people’s normal behavior. Observation is one good source of hypothesizing individual behavior as such it is seen as the first step in the right direction to unravel why people behave the way they do. For instance, research reports that temperament variations in early childhood are associated to notable adult behavior patterns (Shaughnessy, 2003). Culture reflects another setting in which behavior appear in various dimensions as cultures itself. Furthermore, scientists noted that in traditional and cross-cultural research, consummated assessment and descriptions of behavior demands that observations be conducted across various situations, time, and place (Shaughnessy, 2005). In situations in which accurate results of behavior is difficult, researchers tend to obtain a representative
References: Hall, G.C.N. (2010). Multicultural psychology (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NH: Pearson Prentice Hall. Levin, R. (1963). Behaviorism in psychological Anthropology. In J.M. Wepman (ed.) and R.W.Henie (ed.), Concepts of personality (pp.361-384).Hawthorne, NY: Aldine Publicity Company. Shaughnessy,J., Zechmeister, E., & Zechmeister, J. (2003). Research methodology in psychology. (6thed.). New York, New york: McGraw-Hill.