observations Flashcards
participant observations
the researcher joins in the activities of the group they are researching
participant observation - advantages (2)
valid - groups are observed in a natural and authentic setting, therefore the data is more likely to be a true account of the group’s behaviour
valid - data generate is richly detailed and offers insight into social behaviour
participant observations - disadvantages (5)
unreliable - being open-ended and subjective research, there is no fixed procedure or standardised system of measurement and cannot be replicated
unrepresentative - most participant observations investigate small-scale groups that are not representative of the wider population
not valid - the Hawthorne effect, due to how the observer is likely to affect the group’s behaviour and the researcher is at risk of ‘going native’, meaning the researcher often identifies with the group
ethical issues - it is difficult to ensure anonymity of participants
practical issues - there are issues with getting into the group, staying in the group and/or leaving the group
non-participant observations
the observer avoids any direct involvement with the research
non-participant observations - advantage (1)
limited risk of the researcher ‘going native’
non-participant observation - disadvantages (2)
non-reliable - each observation will be subjective and therefore cannot be repeated
not representative - involves a small scale research sample
overt observations
the researcher explains their research intention to the group, so the research subjects are aware they are being observed
overt observations - advantages (4)
less ethical issues than covert because the participants know they are being researched
higher level of reliability than covert
the observer can openly take notes
allows researcher to use interview methods too
overt observations - disadvantages (4)
practical - time consuming
lacks validity - Hawthorne effect
less reliable - difficult to repeat
not always representative
covert observations
the researcher keeps their real identity and purpose secret from research subjects
covert observations - advantages (3)
more valid than overt because there is lack of the Hawthorne effect
research obtained is more valid because you have first-hand insight
find out more in-depth detail about why, who, where, when etc.
covert observations - disadvantages (2)
ethical issues - it is immoral to deceive people
researcher has to gain trust and acceptance (this may be time consuming)
