POLI 203 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Participant Observation, Ethnography
2 Nov 2017
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Document Summary
Direct observation is a method for researchers to focus on the behaviours and. Unobtrusive observation is when participants don"t know they are being watched. Direct observation can be obtrusive meaning subjects are aware they are being studied. what they imply about the group being studied. Direct observation solves problems that interviews and focus groups have in terms of getting a genuine understanding of the group in question. Direct observation solves these issues because instead of asking people things and expecting them to be genuine in their answers, it observes participants behaviour directly. This method of observation comes in handy mainly when someone is studying foreign cultures, or using ethnography. This is sometimes not ideal but a necessary way to conduct observations because in some situations there is no option other than for the participants to know they are being watched. One example of this would be sitting in on a meeting with political o cials on opposite political sides.
