The qualitative face of big data: Live streaming and ecologically valid observation of decision-making

Abstract

The technological possibilities for new data sources in me- dia psychology, such as online live recordings, called Live Streaming, are growing continuously. These sources do not only offer plentiful quantitative material but also ac- cess to ecologically valid and unobtrusive observation of problem-solving and decision-making processes. However, to exploit these potentials, epistemological and methodological reflection should guide research. The availability of Big Data and naturally occurring data sets (NODS) allows to revise the historical controversies on the eligibility of self-description. Drawing on such reflections, media psychology can contribute to renovate well established research methods, such as think-aloud protocols, in order to improve their empirical potentials. Among the attempts to enhance these methods are phenomenology and ethnomethodology which offer a fruitful account to develop innovative data sources for self-description. Yet, these attempts do not support a recurrence of self- description’s previous application but propose an epistemological shift towards more subtle observations. To convey the potentials of media psychology, the risk of repeating classical mistakes, such as introspectionism, must be regarded. Beyond these fallacies, however, modern digital technology holds encouraging potentials that have already partly been sighted by video gaming research. Due to the similarity of digital environments to laboratory setups, there is a continuity from offline to online research, from traditional data to Big Data. Nevertheless, a true advance into new possibilities requires understanding the qualitative meaning of such data.

Keywords

• live streaming
• phenomenology
• ethnomethodology
• big data
• decision-making