Stimulus material:
A naturalistic observation was designed to compare the peer interaction behaviours of Year 7 students (aged 11–12) and Year 11 students (aged 15–16) during school lunch breaks. A sample of 80 students was observed across different days in the busy school cafeteria. Half of the students observed were in Year 7 and the other half were in Year 11.
The observation took place in the main dining hall during the first 30 minutes of lunch. The students behaved naturally, unaware they were being explicitly monitored. The researchers used two trained observers who watched the target students from a balcony area overlooking the seating.
Each selected student's behaviour was observed for a total of 10 minutes. The observers decided to use time sampling, recording the target student’s behaviour category (such as talking, eating silently, or using a phone) every 30 seconds.
Question:
Explain one strength and one limitation of using time sampling for this observation.
689 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Psychology Scientific processes. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.