observations

• Types of Observation


  • Overt
  • Covert
• Overt Observation


  • Participants know they are being observed
  • No ethical issues
  • Behaviours may not be natural
• Covert Observation


  • Participants are unaware they are being observed
  • High ecological validity
  • Ethical issues
• Types of Participant Observation

  • Participant
  • Non-participant
• Participant Observation


  • Observer becomes actively involved in the activities of the people being studied
  • Easily to understand the observed behaviour
  • High ecological value
  • High to record observations retrospectively
  • Observer can become involved with participants – data subjective
• Non-participant Observation


  • Researcher observing from a distance
  • Observation made as they happen – more reliable
  • Lack of contact so they can maintain objectivity
  • Behaviour may be recorded by the meaning behind is unknown
• Types of Covert Observation

  • Covert participant
  • Covert non-participant
• Types of Overt Observation

  • Overt participant
  • Overt non-participant
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Participant and Non-participant Observation

  • Participant Observation Advantages
  • Participant Observation Disadvantages
  • Non-participant Observation Advantages
  • Non-participant Observation Disadvantages
• Sudir Venkatesh - Gang leader for a day - Overt participant - Ethological study
• Ethnological study


  • In depth study in their natural setting
  • Long term study
  • Mainly participant observations
• Verstehen


  • Empathetic understanding
  • Rich and in-depth behaviour
  • To walk in the participants
• Griffin - 1960


  • White journalist who dyed his skin black to see in order to discover what it is; like to live in Sothern states of America
• Malinowski - 1922


  • Studied Trobriand islanders of new guinea
• Goffman - 1968


  • Adapted the role of assistant to athletics director
  • Studied the experience of patients in the hospital
• Giulianotti - 1995


  • Studied two groups of Scottish footballers
• Humphreys - 1970


  • Covert participant
  • Studied casual sex between men in public toilets (known as tearoom trade)
  • Acting as watch man
  • Kept list of men to check up on later
  • A lot of the men were married
• Barker - 1984


  • Overt
  • Making of anomie
  • Studied religious groups Moonies and their beliefs
  • To see if media beliefs were true about them
• Piff et al - 2012


  • Non-participant
  • Wealthy people in California don't care about lower class
  • Looked into the most expensive cars – more expensive didn't stop