Published on March 31, 2022 by Tegan George. Revised on June 29, 2022. An observational study is used to answer a research question based purely on what the researcher observes. There is no interference or manipulation of the research subjects, and no
control and treatment groups. These studies are often qualitative in nature and can be used for both exploratory and
explanatory research purposes. While quantitative observational studies exist, they are less common. Observational studies are generally used in hard science, medical, and social science fields. This is often due to ethical or practical concerns that prevent the
researcher from conducting a traditional experiment. However, the lack of control and treatment groups means that forming inferences is difficult, and there is a risk of confounding variables impacting your analysis. There are many types of observation, and it can be challenging to tell the difference between them. Here are some of the most common types to help you choose the best one for your observational study. There are three main types of observational studies: cohort studies, case–control studies, and cross-sectional studies. Cohort studies are more longitudinal in nature, as they follow a group of participants over a period of time. Members of the cohort are
selected because of a shared characteristic, such as smoking, and they are often observed over a period of years. Case–control studies bring together two groups, a case study group and a control group. The case study group has a particular attribute while the control group does not. The two groups are then compared, to see if the case group exhibits a
particular characteristic more than the control group. For example, if you compared smokers (the case study group) with non-smokers (the control group), you could observe whether the smokers had more instances of lung disease than the non-smokers. Note: In case–control studies, the case study group is chosen because they already possess the attribute of interest—in this case, smoking.Cross-sectional studiesCross-sectional studies analyze a population of study at a specific point in time. This often involves narrowing previously collected data to one point in time to test the prevalence of a theory—for example, analyzing how many people were diagnosed with lung disease in March of a given year. It can also be a one-time observation, such as spending one day in the lung disease wing of a hospital. Observational study exampleObservational studies are usually quite straightforward to design and conduct. Sometimes all you need is a notebook and pen! As you design your study, you can follow these steps. Step 1: Identify your research topic and objectivesThe first step is to determine what you’re interested in observing and why. Observational studies are a great fit if you are unable to do an experiment for ethical or practical reasons, or if your research topic hinges on natural behaviors. Example: Observational study topicYou’re interested in the interactions of toddlers at daycare, specifically how they deal with big emotions like excitement, fear, anger, or sadness. Running an experiment could be challenging for ethical reasons: toddlers are a vulnerable population and cannot consent to participate.Step 2: Choose your observation type and techniqueIn terms of technique, there are a few things to consider:
Overall, it is crucial to stay organized. Devise a shorthand for your notes, or perhaps design templates that you can fill in. Since these observations occur in real time, you won’t get a second chance with the same data. Step 3: Set up your observational studyBefore conducting your observations, there are a few things to attend to:
Step 4: Conduct your observationAfter you’ve chosen a type of observation, decided on your technique, and chosen a time and place, it’s time to conduct your observation. Example: Observational studyYou’ve decided that there is a particular characteristic about the toddlers that you are interested in. Let’s say you hypothesize that only children are more likely to be upset when they are dropped off at day care than children with siblings.Here, you can split them into case and control groups. The children with siblings have a characteristic you are interested in (siblings), while the children in the control group do not. You can then attend the morning drop-off at the carpool lane, observing whether the children with siblings are, indeed, less upset when their caregivers drop them off. When conducting observational studies, be very careful of confounding or “lurking” variables. In the example above, you observed children as they were dropped off, gauging whether or not they were upset. However, there are a variety of other factors that could be at play here (e.g., illness). Step 5: Analyze your dataAfter you finish your observation, immediately record your initial thoughts and impressions, as well as follow-up questions or any issues you perceived during the observation. If you audio- or video-recorded your observations, you can transcribe them. Your analysis can take an inductive or deductive approach:
Next, you can conduct your thematic or content analysis. Due to the open-ended nature of observational studies, the best fit is likely thematic analysis. Step 6: Discuss avenues for future researchObservational studies are generally exploratory in nature, and they often aren’t strong enough to yield standalone conclusions due to their very high susceptibility to observer bias and confounding variables. For this reason, observational studies can only show association, not causation. If you are excited about the preliminary conclusions you’ve drawn and wish to proceed with your topic, you may need to change to a different research method, such as an experiment. Advantages and disadvantages of observational studiesAdvantages
Disadvantages
Observational study vs. experimentThe key difference between observational studies and experiments is that a properly conducted observational study will never attempt to influence responses, while experimental designs by definition have some sort of treatment condition applied to a portion of participants. However, there may be times when it’s impossible, dangerous, or impractical to influence the behavior of your participants. This can be the case in medical studies, where it is unethical or cruel to withhold potentially life-saving intervention, or in longitudinal analyses where you don’t have the ability to follow your group over the course of their lifetime. An observational study may be the right fit for your research if random assignment of participants to control and treatment groups is impossible or highly difficult. However, the issues observational studies raise in terms of validity, confounding variables, and conclusiveness can mean that an experiment is more reliable. If you’re able to randomize your participants safely and your research question is definitely causal in nature, consider using an experiment. Frequently asked questionsWhat is experimental design? Experimental design means planning a set of procedures to investigate a relationship between variables. To design a controlled experiment, you need:
When designing the experiment, you decide:
Experimental design is essential to the internal and external validity of your experiment. Sources in this articleWe strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below. This Scribbr article
Is this article helpful?You have already voted. Thanks :-) Your vote is saved :-) Processing your vote... How is organizational behavior research?OB Research Methods
Researchers have working hypotheses based on their own observations, readings on the subject, and information from individuals within organizations. Based on these ideas, they set out to understand the relationships among different variables.
What are OB researchers?Understanding Organizational Behavior (OB)
The study of organizational behavior includes areas of research dedicated to improving job performance, increasing job satisfaction, promoting innovation, and encouraging leadership.
Is Organizational Behavior OB equivalent to common sense?As teachers, we have heard this question many times. The answer, as you might have guessed, is no—OB is not just common sense. As we noted earlier, OB is the systematic study and application of knowledge on how individuals and groups act within the organizations they work for.
Which of the following best describes how psychology can be applied to enhance our understanding of organizational behavior?Which of the following best describes how psychology can be applied to enhance our understanding of organizational behavior? Psychology is primarily focused on systems, so it helps us understand how organizations impact other organizations.
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