Up Learn – A Level Psychology (AQA) – research methods (part 1)
Non-Participant Observation: Advantages and Disadvantages
We’ve also seen that, using participant observations, the researchers may gain more insight and understanding into the behaviour of their participants. But they’re also more likely to influence their participants, leading to investigator effects.
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More videos on Research Methods (Part 1):
Observational Techniques (free trial)
Naturalistic Observations (free trial)
Covert and Overt Observations (free trial)
Strengths and Weaknesses of Covert and Overt Observations (free trial)
Participant and Non-participant Observations (free trial)
Pros and Cons of Participant and Non-participant Observations (free trial)
Measuring Behaviour Using the Observational Technique (free trial)
Behavioural Categories (free trial)
Weaknesses of Observational Techniques: Observer Bias (free trial)
Research Methods (Part 1)
2. Cause and Effect (free trial)
3. The Scientific Process (free trial)
4. The Scientific Process: Aims (free trial)
5. The Scientific Process: Hypothesis (free trial)
6. Independent and Dependent Variables (free trial)
7. Levels of the Independent Variable (free trial)
8. Operationalisation (free trial)
9. The Scientific Process: Methods (free trial)
10. The Scientific Process: Results & Conclusions (free trial)
2. Features of Science: Hypothesis Testing (free trial)
3. Features of Science: Empirical Evidence (free trial)
4. Features of Science: Falsifiability (free trial)
5. Features of Science: Replicability (free trial)
6. Features of Science: Control (free trial)
7. Control: Extraneous Variables (free trial)
8. Control: Confounding Variables (free trial)
9. Article – Extraneous vs Confounding Variables (free trial)
10. Features of Science: Objectivity (free trial)
11. Features of science: Theory construction (free trial)
2. Validity – Part 1 (free trial)
3. Validity – Part 2 (free trial)
4. Assessing Validity (free trial)
5. Assessing Validity: Face Validity (free trial)
6. Assessing Validity: Concurrent Validity (free trial)
7. Reliability – Part 1 (free trial)
8. Reliability – Part 2 (free trial)
9. Internal and External Reliability (free trial)
10. The Split-half Method (free trial)
11. The Test-retest Method (free trial)
2. Extraneous Variables: Participant Variables (free trial)
3. Extraneous Variables: Investigator Effects (free trial)
4. Investigator Effects: Researcher Expectations (free trial)
5. Extraneous Variables: Situational Variables (free trial)
6. Introduction to Demand Characteristics (free trial)
7. Situational Variables Can Be Demand Characteristics (free trial)
8. Investigator Effects Can Be Demand Characteristics (free trial)
9. Demand Characteristics: Influence on Behaviour (free trial)
10. Effects of Extraneous Variables on Validity and Reliability (free trial)
11. Controlling for Extraneous Variables: Standardisation (free trial)
12. When Can We Use Standardisation? (free trial)
13. Controlling Extraneous Variables: Matching (free trial)
14. Controlling Extraneous Variables: Random Allocation (free trial)
15. Blinding (free trial)
16. Single and Double Blinding (free trial)
17. Extraneous Variables: Summary (free trial)
2. What is Sampling? (free trial)
3. Types of Sampling: Volunteer Sampling (free trial)
4. Volunteer Sampling: Pros and Cons (free trial)
5. Types of Sampling: Opportunity Sampling (free trial)
6. Opportunity Sampling: Pros and Cons (free trial)
7. Volunteer vs Opportunity Sampling (free trial)
8. Types of Sampling: Systematic Sampling (free trial)
9. Systematic Sampling: Pros and Cons (free trial)
10. Types of Sampling: Random Sampling (free trial)
11. Random Sampling: Pros and Cons (free trial)
12. Types of Sampling: Stratified Sampling (free trial)
13. Stratified Sampling: How? (free trial)
14. Stratified Sampling: Pros and Cons (free trial)
15. Sampling Summary (free trial)
2. What is an Experiment? (free trial)
3. Types of Experiment: Laboratory Experiments (free trial)
4. Pros and Cons of Laboratory Experiments (free trial)
5. Types of Experiment: Field Experiments (free trial)
6. Pros and Cons of Field Experiments (free trial)
7. Types of Experiment: Quasi Experiments (free trial)
8. Pros and Cons of Quasi Experiments (free trial)
9. Types of Experiment: Natural Experiments (free trial)
10. Pros and Cons of Natural Experiments (free trial)
11. Types of Experiment: Summary (free trial)
12. Types of Experimental Design (free trial)
13. Matched Pairs Design (free trial)
14. Independent Groups Design (free trial)
15. Repeated Measures Design (free trial)
16. Repeated Measures: Limitations (free trial)
17. Repeated Measures: Counterbalancing (free trial)
18. Experimental Designs: Comparison (free trial)
19. Experimental Designs for Quasi and Natural Experiments (free trial)
2. What are Non-Experimental Methods? (free trial)
3. Single Variable Studies (free trial)
4. Correlational Studies: What is a Correlation (free trial)
5. Correlational Studies: Positive and Negative Correlations (free trial)
6. What is a Correlational Study (free trial)
7. Correlational Studies: Correlation is not Causation (free trial)
8. Correlational Studies: Pros and Cons (free trial)
9. Case Studies (free trial)
10. Pros of Case Studies (free trial)
11. Cons of Case Studies (free trial)
2. Methods of Data Collection (free trial)
3. Self-Report Technique (free trial)
4. Open and Closed Questions (free trial)
5. Strengths of Closed Questions over Open Questions (free trial)
6. Strengths of Open Questions over Closed Questions (free trial)
7. Structured and Unstructured Interviews (free trial)
8. Strengths and Weaknesses of Structured and Unstructured Interviews (free trial)
9. Problems with Self-Report Methods: Objectivity (free trial)
10. Problems with Self-Report Methods: Social Desirability Bias (free trial)
11. Questionnaires vs Interviews: Speed of Data Collection (free trial)
12. Questionnaires vs Interviews: Investigator Effects (free trial)
13. Questionnaires vs Interviews: Quality of Data (free trial)
14. Questionnaires vs Interviews: Biased Sampling (free trial)
Last time, we saw that…
Last time, we saw that an overt observation is one in which participants know that they’re being watched for a research study.
And a covert observation is one in which participants don’t know that they’re being watched for a research study.
Overt observations are more ethical than covert observations, because informed consent can be obtained.
But covert observations are less likely to be affected by investigator effects or social desirability bias.
So, once the researcher has decided on the type of observation and the awareness of the participants, the researcher needs to decide what their own role will be in the study.
For instance, suppose a researcher conducts an observation to investigate how well students are learning in their French language class.
As he observes, measures and takes notes to describe the students’ behaviours, he notices that the students aren’t doing well in French class… they struggle to speak any French and they’re bombing their tests…
But the researcher isn’t really sure why they’re doing so badly…
So, to try and find out, he decides to also take part in the French class. He sits in on the class, takes part in all of the activities, and does all of the assigned work and homework…
Now, if the researcher also takes part in the activity that the participants are doing, we call it a participant observation.
And if the researcher doesn’ttake part in the activity that the participants are doing and just observes the activity, we call it a non-participant observation.
Now, this name is a bit confusing, because it sounds like we’re talking about the participants conducting an observation when really, participant observation refers to the researcher!
But the reason it’s called a participant observation is because it means that the researcher is participating in the activities, and acting as a participant in the study.
And likewise, in a non-participant observation, the researcher isn’t participating in the activities, they’re not acting as a participant in the study.
So, are these participant, or non-participant observations??
These [A and D ] are participant observations, and these [B and C ] are non-participant observations.
So, to sum it up, we’ve now seen that…
We’ve now seen that, when the researcher takes part in the activity that the participants are doing, we call it a participant observation.
And if the researcher doesn’t take part in the activity that the participants are doing, we call it a non-participant observation.