Observations, observers etc

Question 1

overt observer

Answer 1

the role of the observer is obvious to the participants.

Question 2

Covert observer

Answer 2

the role of the observer is not obvious e.g because they are disguised.

Question 3

participants observer

Answer 3

a researcher who watches from the perspective of being part of the social setting.

Question 4

non-participant observer

Answer 4

a researcher who does not become involved in the situation being studied.

Question 5

unstructured observation

Answer 5

a study in which the observer records the whole range of possible behaviours, which is usually confined to a pilot stage at the beginning of a study to refine the behavioural categories to be observed.

Question 6

structured observation

Answer 6

a study in which the observer records only a limited range of behaviours

Question 7

controlled observation

Answer 7

a study conducted by watching the participants behaviour in a situation in which the social or physical environment has been manipulated by the researchers. it can be conducted in either teh participants normla environemnent or in an artfiial environement.

Question 8

behavioural categories

Answer 8

the activities recorded in an observation. they shoudl be operationalised ( clearly defined) and should break a continous stream of activity into discrete, recordable evnts. They must also be observable actions rather than inferred states.