A controlled observation was designed to compare the cooperative behaviours of primary school children from traditional schools and those from progressive schools. The sample consisted of 80 children aged eight, who were observed in pairs. Half of the children attended traditional schools and the other half attended progressive schools.
The observation took place in a dedicated research room designed to resemble a school activity area, equipped with a large building block set. In the room, there were two children and one researcher who introduced the task. The children's task was to build a tower together.
Each pair of children was brought into the room, given standardized instructions, and then observed covertly for 8 minutes through a one-way mirror while they completed the task.
Additional context: The researchers employed two trained observers to independently record the cooperative behaviours of each child during the sessions.
Question: Explain how the reliability of this controlled observation could be assessed using inter-observer reliability.
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.