A researcher is interested in studying cooperative and competitive behavior in siblings

How might he or she use (1) systematic observations, and (2) self-reports to measure sibling behavior? Explain each type of measure, and give an example of how each could be used to measure cooperation and competition between siblings.
What will be an ideal response?

A good answer will be similar to the following:
• Systematic observations involve watching children and carefully recording what they say or do. They can be either naturalistic observations (observing children as they behave spontaneously in some real-life situation) or structured observations (observing children in a setting the researcher has created that is likely to elicit the behavior of interest). For example, a researcher might observe siblings in a naturalistic setting, such as a park or playground, and watch for spontaneously occurring occasions where the siblings behave cooperatively, such as taking turns pushing each other on swings, or competitively, such as racing to see who reaches a slide first. Or a researcher might put children in situations which would be likely to elicit either cooperative or competitive behavior. For example, they could be given a puzzle and told they would be rewarded if, together, they are able to complete it within a specified amount of time. Or they could each be given their own puzzle and be told that the one who finishes their puzzle first would be given a reward.
• Self-reports involve children answering questions about the topic of interest. The questions and answers can either be given verbally (interview format) or in a written format (questionnaire). For example, a researcher might ask children how cooperative and competitive they are with their siblings.