Structured observation
What is meant by the term “reactive effect”?
If people know they are being observed, they may change their behaviour
Research subjects may have a bad reaction to the drugs they are given
Researchers sometimes react to their informants’ behaviour with horror
The categories on an observation schedule may not be mutually exclusive
If people know they are being observed, they may change their behaviour
Bryman asks “Do people change their behaviour because they know they are being observed?” (p276) If, or when, they do, we call this a “reactive effect”. The problem then becomes one of research participants behaving other than they would in normal circumstances, rendering the data invalid. Webb et al (1966, cited on page 277) argued for greater use of unobtrusive measures of observation to minimise the reactive effect. Others (like McCall, 1984, cited on page 276) suggest the effect diminishes over time as participants grow used to the presence of the observer.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 276,277
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 276,277
If people know they are being observed, they may change their behaviour Bryman asks “Do people change their behaviour because they know they are being observed?” (p276) If, or when, they do, we call this a “reactive effect”. The problem then becomes one of research participants behaving other than they would in normal circumstances, rendering the data invalid. Webb et al (1966, cited on page 277) argued for greater use of unobtrusive measures of observation to minimise the reactive effect. Others (like McCall, 1984, cited on page 276) suggest the effect diminishes over time as participants grow used to the presence of the observer.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 276,277
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 276,277
Related posts
What did Salancik mean by “field stimulations”?A. Being immersed in the field can help to simulate the experience of your informants
B. Researchers can intervene in and manipulate a setting to observe the effects
C. Surveys conducted in the field are more effective than structured observation
D. Some researchers find their projects so stimulating that they have to lie down
LaPiere conducted a study of the way restaurant owners granted or refused access to a Chinese couple. This is an example of observing behaviour in terms of:
A. Individuals
B. Incidents
C. Short time periods
D. Long time periods
The key advantage of structured observation over survey research is that:
A. It does not rely on the researcher’s ability to take notes
B. The researcher is immersed as a participant in the field they are studying
C. It does not impose any expectations of behaviour on the respondents
D. It allows you to observe people’s behaviour directly
Which of the following is not a type of sampling used in structured observation?
A. Focal sampling
B. Scan sampling
C. Emotional sampling
D. Behaviour sampling
What is an observation schedule?
A. A set of explicit rules for assigning behaviour to categories
B. A timetable of days on which you plan to carry out your observation
C. A list of questions to ask your interviewees
D. A way of testing for measurement validity
Cohen’s kappa is a measure of:
A. Inter-surveyor consistency
B. Intra-observer validity
C. Intra-coder validity
D. Inter-observer consistency
Which of the following is a problem associated with survey research?
A. The problem of objectivity
B. The problem of “going native”
C. The problem of omission
D. The problem of robustness
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