Pre-Reading 2 Part 1: The Observational Research Method
There are several categories of research that fall under the title of Observational Research. Each is useful under the right conditions for testing a certain type of hypothesis. What you should keep in mind is that all of the styles of Observational Research answer descriptive questions. In other words, if I want to know how often people make physical contact with each other in public. I could set up a study using Observational methods to find an answer.
Trained observers are sent out to various public locations: shopping malls, downtown street corners, restaurants, bars, etc. They carefully and unobtrusively record the frequency with which people in small groups of 2 to 5 people make physical contact. The observers record the time when they start observing the group, the time when each incidence of contact occurs, and if the group is 3 or more people, they record who makes contact with whom. After the data are collected they are analyzed to find an average number of contacts, and the average time between contacts.
The above example of a possible observational study makes mention of several important points. First, the observers need to keep a very careful record of the data that they are collecting. One way to improve the accuracy of the data would be to have several observers watching the same group at the same time. Later, they could compare their findings, and make sure that each observer saw the same things as every other observer. Also, much of this type of research is conducted without the participants’ knowledge. Social Psychologists are very much aware that if people know their behavior is being observed, they might be motivated to change their behavior to make themselves look better to the researcher.
Another form of observational research is called Ethnography. This type of observational research involves observers entering into a particular culture and becoming part of the group being studied. The culture could be an actual society, or it could be simply a group of people who work together, or live together. Ethnographies are most often found within the discipline of Anthropology, but occasionally Social Psychologists employ these methods. For example, let’s say that a researcher had the same question about physical contact as above, but they were specifically interested in this phenomenon for people who work at public relations firms.
Trained observers are sent to work within several public relations companies. While working at the firms, they carefully and unobtrusively record the frequency with which people in small groups of 2 to 5 people make physical contact. The observers record the time when they start observing the group, the time when each incidence of contact occurs, and if the group is 3 or more people, they record who makes contact with whom. After the data are collected they are analyzed to find an average number of contacts, and the average time between contacts for people in the public relations profession.
The same type of information is collected, but this time the observers are embedded within the culture of interest. This has the advantage of being able to gain the trust of the participants, and thus being more likely to record accurate information.
The last type of observational research that we need to consider is called Archival Analysis. Simply put, archival analysis involves examining the accumulated documents of a culture. This could involve reading newspapers, magazines, and books, and could even include watching movies or television. All of these forms of media serve as a reflection of society, so they can offer some insight into social behavior. For example, imagine again that the question of interest has to do with physical contact, but now the researcher wants to see if there has been any change over time in the frequency with which these things happen.
Trained observers gather a sample of movies made in the 1940’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and since 2000. They carefully watch and record the frequency with which the people portrayed in these movies make physical contact. The observers record the time when they start observing the group, the time when each incidence of contact occurs, and if the group is 3 or more people, they record who makes contact with whom. After the data are collected they are analyzed to find an average number of contacts, and the average time between contacts for each of the seven decades.
One advantage of this form of observational study is that there is no need to worry about being unobtrusive. This form of analysis also provides the only way we can “go back in time” to see what life was like. On the other hand, movies (or any form of document) can only provide a very limited snapshot of what life was like at that time.