WRITE A 1-2 PAGE REFLECTION PAPER IN WHICH YOU:
DESCRIBE THE PURPOSE OF THE OBSERVATION AND/OR THE RESEARCH QUESTION
EXPLAIN THE TYPE OF OBSERVATION CONDUCTED AND WHY YOU DECIDED ON THIS TYPE OF OBSERVATION
DESCRIBE THE FINDINGS OF THE OBSERVATIONS
DRAW CONCLUSIONS BASED ON THE OBSERVATIONS
INCORPORATE WHAT THE TEXTBOOK HAS TO SAY ABOUT OBSERVATIONS
It is a social science research method of observing subjects in their natural environments; also called “field research.”
• Observations may be conducted for 2 purposes: (1) observe to gain understanding and to form a research question, and (2) observe to draw conclusions.
• Considered strong in validity because the researcher is able to able to collect information in depth and observe behaviors in depth and at length.
• Weaknesses in generalizeability (external validity) because the findings may only be indicative of the population, time, and location studied. It may be difficult to generalize to other populations. Another weakness is the potential for observer bias, but this can be overcome with observer training and developing a strong observation protocol.
• In making a decision as to whether to use observation as a research method, the researcher should consider the following:
o Is the phenomena in question observable?
o Does the researcher have time to observe?
o Is the topic sensitive? In other words, is the topic one in which it would be difficult to conduct interviews but be more easily studied through observations?
o Is what the researcher is looking for unclear? If so, observations may help to focus the research question.
2 COMMON TYPES OF OBSERVATIONS
What is Naturalistic Observation?
• It falls under a research method known as an “unobtrusive observation” and its strength is that scientists can watch subjects without interfering with the subject’s behavior/ environment; its limitations is that this method is descriptive rather than explanatory and it takes a great deal of time
• An example of naturalistic observation comes from anthropology, where Jane Goodall spent years in the jungle in Tanzania observing chimpanzees
What is Structured Observation?
• The most common form of structure observation is the checklist. The researcher develops a checklist and uses this to record whether or not a given behavior occurs. The strength of this method is the same as for naturalistic observations in that it allows researchers to observe subjects in their natural settings. In addition, the structured observation has the added advantage in that data analysis is quite easy and uncomplicated. The limitation of this method is that the researcher must somehow blend into the environment or else the researcher’s presence could create an “observer effect” whereby the subjects alter their behavior because they know they are being observed.
THE PRACTICE OF OBSERVING How is it done? • Researchers determine what is to be studied and find a suitable place for observing.
• Researchers must take detailed field notes. Researchers may or may not record the observation. What should the researcher determine ahead of time?
• Determine how the observational data will be interpreted: o Descriptive: just writing down what is observed o Inferential: writing down what is observed and making inferences about what is taking place and the emotions displayed
Evaluative: the researcher writes what is observed and also make judgments about it. For example, if a child throws a temper tantrum because his mother wouldn’t let him have a Happy Meal at McDonald’s the researcher could infer that the child was frustrated and angry
o In writing field notes, it is important to write a thorough description of the place and its mood. Quite often researchers will also include diagrams in their notes
THE ASSIGNMENT
You will need to conduct an observation. Whatever you decide to observe, it must be observed at least 3 different times or at 3 different locations.
First, determine a phenomena that you want to observe. Then, deter mine whether you want to conduct a descriptive observation or whether you intend to conduct observations to draw conclusions.
When you actually conduct the observation, make sure that you have materials to write down what you see and hear. Your field notes should be quite through.
