abhishreshthaa
Abhijeet S
METHODS OF OBSERVATION
Observational studies can be classified on five bases:
Direct observations
Structured direct observation
Unstructured, direct observation
Contrived observation
Mechanical observation
A number of methods and devices have been developed for making such observations.
Observational studies can be classified on five bases:
- 1. Whether the situation in which the observation is made is natural or contrived
- 2. Whether the observation is obtrusive or unobtrusive.
- 3. Whether the observation is structured or unstructured
- 4. Whether the factor of interest is observed directly or indirectly
- 5. Whether observers or mechanical means makes observations.
Direct observations
- • When an observer is stationed in a grocery store to note how many different brands of canned soup each shopper picks up before selecting one, there is unobtrusive, direct observation in a natural situation.
- • If a camera is positioned to record shopping actions, observation is by mechanical means
- • If the observer counts the specific cans picked up, the observation is structured.
- • If the observer has to go about observing how shoppers go about selecting a brand of soup, the situation is unstructured.
Structured direct observation
- • It is used when the problem at hand has been formulated precisely enough to enable researchers to define specifically the observations to be made
- • E.g. Observers in a supermarket might note the number of soup cans picked up by each customer. A form can easily be printed for simple recordings of such observations.
- • Not all observations are as simple as the above but experiments have shown that even observers with a different viewpoint on a given question tend to make similar observations under structured conditions.
Unstructured, direct observation
- • Observers are placed in situations and observe whatever they deem significant.
- • E.g. In an effort to find ways of improving the service of a store, observers may mingle with customers in the store and look for activities that suggest service problems.
- No one can observe everything that is going on, hence the observer must select certain things which he can make a note of.
- Customers standing at a counter with annoyed faces may be observed as irritated because of the service or lack of it.
Contrived observation
- • When researchers rely on natural direct observation it results in a lot of wasted time while they wait for the desired events to take place.
- To reduce this, it may be more desirable to contrive situations so that observations may be made more efficiently.
- • E.g. To study the bargaining between an automobile salesman and a customer, the observer can pose as a customer and take various bargaining attitudes from the most-eager-to-buy to the toughest price seeking.
- In each case the observer notes the salesperson’s response.
- As long as the sales person believes the researcher to be a bonafide customer, there is no bias in the observation.
- • Contrived observations often have a validity and economic advantage.
Mechanical observation
A number of methods and devices have been developed for making such observations.
- a) Audimeter- used by the A C Nielsen company to record when television and radio sets are tuned on and the stations to which they are tuned.
- b) People meter- a device that can be held in the hand and has a number for each member of the household, which he/she is asked to punch when viewing TV.
- c) Psycho galvanometer- measures minute emotional reactions through changes in the rate of perspiration. It is almost like a lie detector.
- d) Eye camera- used to record the movements of the eye.