A controlled observation was conducted to compare the prosocial sharing behaviours of primary school children who are only children with those who have siblings. The sample consisted of 80 children aged six, who were observed individually. Half of the cohort (40 children) were only children, and the other half (40 children) had at least one sibling.
The observation took place in a dedicated room set up to resemble a school activity zone, complete with drawing kits, clay, and puzzles. Inside the room, there was one confederate child of the same age and an adult supervisor. The supervisor did not interact with the children during the tasks.
Each child participant was led into the room by a researcher who used a standardised script to explain that they could play with any of the materials. The researcher then left the room. Each child's behaviour was observed covertly through a one-way mirror for eight minutes, focusing specifically on their willingness to share the art supplies when prompted by the confederate child.
Identify one limitation of controlled observations.
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