Observation (Participant and non-participant) Flashcards
what is the definiton of observation
observations are a method in which researchers study the ongoing behaviour of their participants
what is the Hawthorne Effect
the alteration of behaviour due to the awareness of being observed if peopole behave differently, this can reduce validity
what are the 4 types of observation
participant observation
non-participant observation
covert
overt
what are participant observation
researchers act like and take part in the everyday life of the group whilst observing
what are non-particpant observations
researcher is completely seperate form the group being observed and takes no part in what is going on
what is covert observations
undercover- the researcher observes in ‘secret’, posing as a genuine member of the group
the groups being studied are not aware that the research is taking place
what is overt observations
open- the groups being studied knwo the research is happening
what is the study for non-participant observation and breifly explain it
Louis Theroux
studying change in younger inmates when participating on a military style training programme
researcher was seperate and only spoke to officer seperately
good for safety and could still observe
not in on full experience
what is the study for covert observations and breifly explain it
‘Black like me’ Griffin
darkened his skin tone to inverstigate the trueth about racism
could have faced racial oppression
putting himself at risk of abuse
what is the study for overt observations and breifly explain it
‘gang leader for the day’ Venkatesh
investigated inside minds of gangs and asked questions to gang members but got held hostage
got told he needed to live with the gang to truely understand
didnt experience any abuse
better than non-participant observations but covert would have given a more authentic result but good from a safety perspective
