Question

Zoo wanted to study the effects of having the oldest child in a family go off to college. She decided to use her own family after her brother left for a college in Spain. She took notes each day on her parents’ behavior and kept a diary on her own reactions. Zoo was using the technique called __________.

Group of answer choices

family survey

observer bias

participant observation

attribution effect

Answer 1

A family survey is not a standard research technique.

Option a) is incorrect.

Observer bias is a kind of bias that can influence the result of an experiment. It is the tendency of the experimenter to skew their observations with their own unconscious expectations. Observer bias is not a research technique and there is no evidence that Zoo is guilty of observer bias,

Option b) is incorrect.

The attribution effect is also an example of experimental bias. It occurs when people wrongly explain the cause of their own behavior or that of others involved in the experiment. There is no attribution bias in this experiment.

Option d) is incorrect.

Participant observation involves taking notes on a group that is being observed in a particular social environment. The researcher also participates in the experiment as a part of the group. In this experiment, Zoo not only notes down the behavior of her family but also records her own experiences. This research technique is called participant observation.

Option c) Participant observation is correct.