OBSERVATION METHOD

SUBMITTED TO : MR. ABHISHEK SHARMA

SUBMITTED BY: ANIL KUMAR

WHAT IS OBSERVATION ?

•  THE ACTION OR PROCESS OF OBSERVING SOMETHING OR SOMEONE CAREFULLY IN ORDER TO GAIN INFORMATION.• THE ACTION OR PROCESS OF CLOSELY OBSERVING OR MONITORING

SOMETHING OR SOMEONE.

OBSERVATION METHOD

• IT IS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD OF DESCRIBING BEHAVIOUR.• IT IS ALSO A PLANNED ACTIVITY WHICH NOTICE EACH AND EVERY MINUTE

ACTIVITY AND COLLECT DATA FOR ANALYSIS .• IN BROAD SENSE IT IS USED TO EXPLORE SPECIFIC ACTIVITY OF A PERSON OR

GROUP .

•A SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATION DIFFERS FROM DAY-TO-DAY OBSERVATION IN MANY RESPECTS. • THESE ARE :1. SELECTION : SELECT A PARTICULAR BEHAVIOUR FOR OBSERVATION.2. RECORDING : RECORD SELECTED BEHAVIOUR (TAKING NOTES , VIDEO , SYMBOLS ).3. ANALYSIS OF DATA : ANALYSE THE RECORDED DATA TO MAKE MEANING OUT OF IT .

TYPES OF OBSERVATION

• THERE ARE TWO KIND OF OBSERVATION :

A. PARTICIPANT B. NON-PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

• THE OBSERVER MAY BECOME PART OF THE GROUP BEING OBSERVED. THE OBSERVER TAKES SOME TIME TO ESTABLISH A RAPPORT WITH THE GROUP SO THAT THEY START ACCEPTING HER/HIM AS ONE OF THE GROUP MEMBERS.• IT ENABLES THE RESEARCHER TO STUDY PEOPLE AND THEIR BEHAVIOUR IN A

NATURALISTIC SITUATION, AS IT OCCURS.

NON-PARTICIPANT • DECIDE TO OBSERVE THE PERSON OR EVENT FROM A DISTANCE. THE

PERSON BEING OBSERVED MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT S/HE IS BEING OBSERVED.• THERE ARE MANY WAYS OF ACHIEVING THIS GOAL. YOU CAN INSTALL A VIDEO

CAMERA TO RECORD THE CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES, WHICH YOU CAN SEE LATER AND ANALYSE.• THE DANGER IN THIS TYPE OF SETUP IS THAT THE VERY FACT THAT SOMEONE

(AN OUTSIDER) IS SITTING AND OBSERVING MAY BRING A CHANGE IN THE BEHAVIOUR.

ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE• THE ADVANTAGE OF THE OBSERVATION METHOD IS THAT IT ENABLES THE

RESEARCHER TO STUDY PEOPLE AND THEIR BEHAVIOUR IN A NATURALISTIC SITUATION, AS IT OCCURS.• DISADVANTAGE :THE OBSERVATION METHOD IS LABOUR INTENSIVE, TIME

CONSUMING, AND IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE OBSERVER’S BIAS. BECAUSE OF OUR BIASES WE MAY INTERPRET THINGS IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN WHAT THE PARTICIPANTS MAY ACTUALLY MEAN.

THE OBSERVER SHOULD RECORD THE BEHAVIOUR AS IT HAPPENS AND SHOULD NOT INTERPRET THE BEHAVIOUR AT THE TIME OF OBSERVATION ITSELF.