1. Observational Research
Observational studies vary in two main ways:
1. The extent to which the researcher joins the activities of the group. The choice is between participant observation and non-participant observation
2. Whether the researcher is honest and tells the group about the research, or prefers to pretend to be one of the group. The choice is between overt and covert research

2. Sociological Methods
Participant Observation involves a researcher gaining membership or attachment to a group, so he/she can study social action in its natural context, undisturbed, as it occurs. This could mean joining a group of mental patients in a hospital, accompanying a teenage gang to clubs/cafes etc.
In other words the researcher joins the group being studied

4. Participant Observation
Observational Research
Participant Observation
Advantages:
High validity: see behaviour in its natural context.
Empathy: can understand individual meanings.
Can study social interaction including non-verbal interaction.
Gives flexibility and innovation.
© onlineclassroom.tv 2007

5. Participant Observation: Problems
Observational Research
Participant Observation: Problems
Getting In: May be difficult for the researcher to enter an organisation or group (such as a school).
Staying In: Researcher has to work at making relationships and maintaining trust.
Getting Out: Not easy to simply “stop participating”.
© onlineclassroom.tv 2007

6. Participant Observation: Limitations
Observational Research
Participant Observation: Limitations
Low reliability – difficult to repeat.
Observer effect – people’s behaviour may change if they know they are being observed.
Hard to generalise: small samples and people studied rarely representative of wider population.
Time consuming, labour intensive.
© onlineclassroom.tv 2007

8. REPRESENTATIVENESS
VALIDITY
RELIABILITY
EVALUATION ISSUES
RECAP
PRACTICALITY
ETHICS

9. VALIDITY
RELIABILITY
REPRESENTATIVENESS

10. Observational Research
Observational studies vary in two main ways:
1. The extent to which the researcher joins the activities of the group. The choice is between participant observation and non-participant observation
2. Whether the researcher is honest and tells the group about the research, or prefers to pretend to be one of the group. The choice is between overt and covert research

11. Non-Participant Observation
Advantages:
You can be more detached and neutral
As the researcher is not making any decisions or joining in activities, the group may be less influenced than in participant observation
Disadvantages:
Merely observing leaves the researcher on the outside and may limit understanding
People may well act differently if they know they are being watched

12. Observation Observation is both an active process and very subjective
This can easily be illustrated through the use of some optical illusions

19. How many horses in this picture? Should find 7