The information gathered by participant observation as a predictive quality. Participant observation allows data collectors to gain more trust and rapport so that we can get more information about particular groups. It can produce useful results in a variety of industries, but it isn’t information that has value when considering future circumstances. ese. Failing to ask the correct questions can mean a critical insight gets missed. 1. Detailed and in-depth knowledge of the situation can be gained. Researchers must have familiarity with the subject matter they study. Ethical problems. More insights become available because of participant observation. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. It is favored by interpretivist sociologists as it acheives their main goals of validity especially if it is an unstructured observation. This is especially useful, now that Research Methods is integrated into the Paper 1 & 2 and I like that you mention Paul Willis which is exactly what I was looking for, also for the Specification, Thank You!! The individuals are naturally more suspicious of anything or anyone that is different. Participant observation can be an open-ended process. Difficult to replicate. However there are disadvantages such as the hawthorne effect which can effect the validity of the research. © Copyright Get Revising 2020 all rights reserved. Since doing participant observation means being embedded in the action and context of a social setting, we consider three key elements of a par-ticipant observation study: 1.Getting into the location of whatever aspect of the human experience you wish to study. Even though people can be unpredictable, humans are creatures of habit. Getting in - To do the study we must first gain entry to the group. (Hughes, 1976). The best price. Each person tends to react the same way whenever a similar set of circumstances happen to them. Advantages of covert participant observation. Participant observation can capture changing attitudes. Participant observation gathers situation-specific data. 20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes, 20 Advantages and Disadvantages of a Peer-to-Peer Network, 18 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of the Payback Period, 20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Leasing a Car, 19 Advantages and Disadvantages of Debt Financing, 24 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of a C Corporation, 16 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Mediation, 18 Advantages and Disadvantages of a Gated Community, 17 Big Advantages and Disadvantages of Focus Groups, 17 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Corporate Bonds, 19 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of Annuities, 17 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Advertising. 4.5 / 5 based on 13 ratings? Advantages of Overt Participant Observation An advantage of overt observation is the avoiding ethics issues such as deception or lack of informed consent. Advantages and Disadvantages of Observation Techniques in Marketing Research. 1. It would be almost impossible for another researcher to repeat given that a participant observation study relies on the personal skills and characteristics of the lone researcher. If both of these elements are not available in the group of workers who will collect information, then the lack of understanding can leave information uncollected, even though someone with experience might identify it as useful data. for example gangs.making contact making the initial contact with the group may depend on person skills, having the right connections, or even pure chance. By acting as a member can get insight into their meanings, veiw points, values and problems - gives authentic data, Flexibility - more flexible and allows for an open mind. Advantages and Disadvantages of Non Participant Observation. It provides insight into an individual or group attitude. It provides results that lend validity to a proposed theory. 2. That means qualitative research through participant observation can turn these activities into usable data for studies in marketing, psychology, anthropology, and other fields. The only way to avoid this disadvantage is to randomize the individuals in the studied demographic so that no one can unduly influence the information gathering process. Deceiving people to gain information about them is typically seen as being wrong, and there may be ethical choices about participating in an Immoral or illegal activity during the course of research. How Does One Conduct an Observation? Several advantages and disadvantages of participant observation are worth noting when approaching a qualitative research project. some groups are easier to enter then others. Attempts at analysis, if any, are thin and disjointed: 1-3: Very limited knowledge, eg one to two very insubstantial points about PO or about methods in general. In the main body of this essay, this idea will be addressed by pointing out advantages and disadvantages of participant observation. 8. 9. It gives us a way to see how people could react in future situations when they have a specific set of experiences or values that drive their decision-making processes. Researchers must get directly involved with the particular demographic they want to study so that the data they collect is authentic. Assess the strengths of Participant Observation in Social Research (20) ... eg drifting into advantages of using PO. Researchers using the participant observation method must know where to look for data and how to ask the right questions to gather information. 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