overt

• advantages

  • avoids ethical issue of deception - but group may refuse permission which restricts researcher from getting data
  • observer can take notes openly = higher validity - but group may not feel comfortable due to power imbalances, makes them feel like they don’t have a right to withdraw 
• disadvantages

  • group may refuse permission for researcher to observe / preventing them from seeing everything
  • Hawthorne effect - participants knowing they’re being observed may behave differently = less valid data