In an observational study of manifestations of various categories of sundowning behavior in hospitalized super-elders, which of the following are true? (Select all that apply.)
a. Checklists based on a rating scale would be helpful ways to record behaviors.
b. Rating scales of 1-absent, 2-slight, 3-moderate, and 4-severe could be used.
c. A category system should be developed before the study begins.
d. The patient's assessment of whether or not he is sundowning is valuable.
e. There should be no overlap of the categories "confused, placid" and "confused, agitated."
f. Research assistants observing the patients should be given similar training.
g. Observations should be made under similar circumstances.
ANS: A, B, C, E, F, G
The first step in a structured observation is to define carefully what specific behaviors or events are to be inspected or observed in a study. From that point, researchers determine how the observations are to be made, recorded, and coded. In most cases, the research team will develop an observational checklist or category system to direct the collecting, organizing, and sorting of the specific behaviors or events being observed. The observational categories should be mutually exclusive. A numerical value is assigned to each category; and the fineness of the distinctions between categories varies with the scale, making this one of the crudest forms of scaling technique. If the observations in a study are being conducted using multiple data collectors, it is essential that the consistency or interrater reliability of the data collectors be determined.
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