Observations- Key Studys

Question 1

What does covert mean?

Answer 1

When the participant doesn’t know they’re being observed

Question 2

What does overt mean?

Answer 2

When participants know they’re in a study/ being observed

Question 3

What is participant observation?

Answer 3

The researcher becomes part of the study- becomes a participant

Question 4

What is non participant observation?

Answer 4

The researcher is not a part of the study

Question 5

What is structured observation?

Answer 5

The participant writes down their findings on a structured sheet/ plan

Question 6

What is ethnography?

Answer 6

Study of the culture and structure of a group of people in a society, produce highly detailed accounts of

Question 7

What is a field diary?

Answer 7

When you write up your story observations and put them in a book

Question 8

What method of observation was Humphrey’s study?

Answer 8

Covert participant observation
Systematic structured

Question 9

Give a brief description of Humphrey’s study?

Answer 9

Public toilets, parks of American cities
Studied homosexual activity in male toilets from mid 60’s
Humphrey’s disguised as a gay voyeur

Question 10

Advantages and disadvantages of using observations in Humphrey’s study?

Answer 10

Advantage- he discovered info that developed defense against intrusions of outsiders
Informative observations
Disadvantage- deception, unethical, observer effect

Question 11

What method of observation did Mayo use?

Answer 11

Over non participant observerion

Question 12

Give a brief description of Mayo’s study

Answer 12

1930’s into how Hawthorne electrical plant chiacago
Measured impact of variables in the work place- what kind of environment encouraged workers to work harder?

Question 13

Advantages and disadvantages of observations in Mayo’s study ?

Answer 13

Advantages- no deception
Knew they were being studied so maybe ethical
Disadvantages- Hawthorne effect therefore not real behaviour possibly not valid

Question 14

Give a brief description of Hargreaves’s study and what kind of study was it?

Answer 14

Overt participant observation
Secondary school boys at back of class, teachers changed behaviours

Question 15

Advantages and disadvantages of Hargreaves’s observation?

Answer 15

Advantages- ethical, knew they were being studied
Disadvantages- bias sample- only looked at boys, not representative
Hawthorne effect

Question 16

Give a brief description of foot whytes study and what kind of observation was it?

Answer 16

Covert participant observation
Italian American street corner
Studied relationship with gang and gang leader
Gatekeeper- “doc”

Question 17

What are advantages and disadvantages of foot whytes study?

Answer 17

Advantages- learned answers to questions never thought to ask
Comfortable environment for gang
Disadvantages- dangerous study
Went native
“Doc” knew being watched- Hawthorne effect

Question 18

Give a brief description of Barkers study and what kind of study was it?

Answer 18

Overt participant observation- instructed interviews
Unification in church and why bad reputation.
Took two years to make context
Friends with monies, kept field diary

Question 19

Advantages and disadvantages of barkers observation?

Answer 19

Advantages- ethical, gained trust , ethnography, valid Becsdue used field diary
Disadvantages- difficult to repeat

Question 20

Give a brief description of “Patrick’s” observation and what kind of observation was it?

Answer 20

Participant covers observation
Glasgow gang- teacher
Student was gatekeeper in study
Teacher introduced as student relative

Question 21

Advantages and disadvantages of “Patricks” observation?

Answer 21

Advantages- access group in own environment
Therefore information higher in validity
Disadvantages- dangerous- “Patrick” had to leave gang
Can’t repeat- low reliability

Question 22

Give a brief description of venkatesh study and what type of observation was it?

Answer 22

Overt participant and non participant observation
Starter using questionnaires, wasn’t appropriate for pre-dominantly black area
Befriended gang leader and observed for decades
Venkatesh leader for a day

Question 23

Advantages and disadvantages of Venkathes observation?

Answer 23

Advantages- very detailed
Very high validity
Disadvantages- went native
People in game of life being ruined