Transcript Observations - Washington State University

Observations
Types of observations
Advantages of observations
Note taking
Observational research
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Observational research in plain English means
watching people
Observations are used…
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To explore new subjects upon which little is
known such as religious cults, homeless. etc
Observations are used…
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At the start of a project to be carried out by
other means to examine parameters of the
situation, location, etc. Observations can also
be thought of as a supplement to other
techniques.
Observations are used…
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Where people are unable to express
themselves well (e.g. children, mentally ill)
One of the main methods used by sociobiologists studying the behavior of primates.
Observations are used…
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Where people will not give a truthful answer
Where one is studying interaction: that is
how, people relate to one another e.g.
teamwork, courtship, parent/child
relationships.
Observations are used…

Observation is also used in a variety of other
fields in addition to sociology, for instance, in
police work and spying
Where difficult to use
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In historical sociology where the actors have
died and the situation being studied no longer
exists
But may be possible using old films and
artifacts
Luciano attained a position of great power
throughout La Cosa Nostra in 1930’s
Where difficult to use
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Where the subjects cannot be directly
observed
Newspaper articles, appearances on TV can
be used
Where difficult to use

Where opinions or attitudes are being
examined. But is possible to study racial
attitudes by for example looking at seating
arrangements on trains and buses
Where difficult to use

With large-scale studies observation tends to
be expensive to do
Types of Observations
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Complete participant
Complete observer
Participant observer
Complete participant
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Our activities as researchers are wholly concealed
As researchers we may join a group – a church or
political party – and pose as ‘ordinary members’ –
but have the purpose of doing research.
We may get some better sense of how ‘insiders’
experience situations – but at the same time there is
the danger that we simply become part of the
situation, that get too close.
Complete participant
Example 1:
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Rosenhan was interested in how diagnoses of
mental illness were made. He and seven
associates went to different mental institutions
and simply said they were hearing voices.
Rosenhan would have never been able to have
the insight into how labels, diagnoses, and
treatments were given without acting as a
participant in the observation.
Example 2: Festinger and Doomsday cult
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He joined the cult that thought the world was going
to end on a particular day.
Festinger was interested in how the beliefs of the
cult's members would react when the world didn't
end.
Amazingly, after the world didn't end, the strength of
the cult members' beliefs actually increased. Why?
Because they thought the world didn't end because
of their prayers.
Complete observer
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It is simply studying behaviors that occur
naturally in natural contexts, unlike the
artificial environment of a controlled laboratory
setting.
Importantly, there is no attempt to manipulate
variables
Conditions for complete observer
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1) The setting must be natural. A researcher cannot adjust, control,
change, or influence the setting or environment.
2) The event must be natural. If you're interested in memory for
arguments and you wanted to use naturalistic observation, you'd basically
have to wait until an argument to occur to collect data -- bad idea. Staging
a fake argument, however real it may seem, is not a natural event and
thereby violates this criterion.
3) The behavior must be natural. This requires that a researcher be
unnoticed. For example, if you're measuring walking speed, you have to
make sure you are sneaky about it; if anyone notices you with a stopwatch
and a notepad, their behavior will likely change as a results, thereby
violating this criterion.
Participant observation
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The researcher adopts an overt (open) role, and
makes their presence and intentions known to the
group
This view of scientific inquiry has been subjected to
scrutiny and criticisms
The researcher often becomes a ‘fan’ or supporter,
though this does not mean attempting to act as one of
the group – for instance, in studying prostitution, it
does not entail being a prostitute
Positive aspects of participant
observation
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It is least likely to lead researchers to impose
their own reality on the social world;
It seeks to understand action: as to how and
why practices and relations change;
Observers record their own experiences in
order to understand the cultural universe
which their researched subjects occupy
Problems in Undertaking Observations
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Characteristics of the observer. The researcher's own
prejudices might lead him/her to interpret the situation in
his/her terms, rather than in terms of the group being
observed and its participants.
Language. The observer must speak the same language as
the observed.
Age. Can by a problem in studying the old as well as young.
For instance, some elderly have many problems that may be
distressing to the researcher. Children may not easily adapt to
presence of an adult.
Problems in Undertaking Observations
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Sex. It can be difficult for a women to
participate in studies in some organizations
which (for whatever reason) have tended to
exclude females from key positions. Likewise
men may sometimes find it difficult to
observe women.
Ethnicity. White researchers may not be
easily accepted into black settings that might
rule out participant observation.
Field notes
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The data logging process is often regarded as
boring (sometimes taking up three hours in a
day in writing the field notes in a daily
journal), but if the researcher lacks any
personal emotional attachment to the concerns
of the research, the quality of the project and,
even its completion, may be jeopardized
There are three rules to note-taking:
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To take notes to familiarize oneself with the
social setting and the people within it;
One’s theoretical interests ought to guide
one’s observations, and, in turn, modify and
alter those interests – it is impossible and
undesirable to record everything;
Minimize the time from observations to full
notes to maintain good recall.
Problem # 2
20 feet
Rope
30 feet
40 feet
20 feet
Ground