Participant observation technique: types and characteristics

A concept widely used in social psychology and anthropology to study groups and subjects.

Psychologists have always tried to study reality, either from inside or outside, with the aim of analyzing and understanding it. Thus was born the psychological evaluation, which includes among them a group of techniques called observation techniques. Today we will know in detail one type in particular, the participant observation technique.

Through observation we acquire information from our environment in an active way, using our sense of sight (or other technical means such as cameras).

Sometimes the phenomenon we intend to observe requires a person or a professional to enter into the reality of the subject or subjects to be observed, in order to better understand this reality. Let's know in detail what all this consists of.

Observation techniques

Observation techniques are a set of techniques and tools aimed at evaluating a phenomenon, an individual or a group of people. They imply a way of approaching the subject's reality in order to get to know it. Observable behaviors and behaviors are generally studied..

They are carried out by an expert or trained observer through protocols prepared for this purpose, which allow a systematic annotation.

The situation to be observed is natural or analogous (e.g. role-playing, cognitive tasks, situational tests, etc.).

Observation techniques do not provoke or elicit responses in the observed subjects, they simply the phenomena occur naturally and the expert or observer observes and studies them..

Ways of observing

There are various forms of observation depending on the objective or type of research, i.e., various methods and techniques. Some of them are:

• Observation itself.
• Objective techniques.
• Self-reports
• Interviews.
• Subjective techniques.
• Projective techniques.

Types of observers

Regarding the type of observer, there are two modalities of observation according to the type of observer: non-participant observation (for example, through the use of a camera, or when the subject does not enter the observed reality of the subject or group), and participant observation.

Characteristics of participant observation

The technique of participant observation is the research that involves social interaction between the researcher and the observed subjects; all of them influence each other.all of them influence each other. Data are collected in a systematic and non-intrusive manner.

Its origins lie in Social Anthropology, a scientific discipline that studies culture and social institutions in various human groups. Bronislaw Malinowski, a Polish anthropologist, is considered the father of the technique.is considered the father of the participant observation technique.

Participant observation is a way of approaching the social and cultural reality of a society or group, but also of an individual. In it, the researcher the researcher enters into the reality to be studied together with the individual or group under study..

In addition to being a type of technique, it is the basis of ethnographic research, that is, the systematic study of people and cultures, as well as a very relevant method used in qualitative research.

Thus, ethnographic research, together with participant observation, is made up of two elements already mentioned: the researcher ("the self") and the group ("the other"). The perspective of the observed subject is taken into account together with the observer, in order to get to know the objective reality as reliably as possible.

When is it applied?

The participant observation technique is used when we want to study the social reality as a whole, in a holistic mannerbut in order to identify a problem that we do not know at the moment.

In other words, this technique is often used when the problem has not yet been defined, precisely in order to identify it and specify its dimensions. It may be that we have a previous idea of the area or problem but we need to specify it more precisely.

It is also used when dealing with problems where other research techniques cannot be practiced (for example, it has been used in prisons, primitive societies, marginal areas, etc.).

On the other hand, it is used in cases where we want to study in detail, directly and "live" the subject or subjects to be observed (e.g., in prisons, primitive societies, marginal areas, etc.). the subject or subjects to be observed (e.g. the behavior of a child with conduct disorder at home or in the classroom).

How is it used?

In participant observation techniques the data collection instrument is the researcher himself..

The use of this type of technique should be flexible and adapted to the situation. Thus, the researcher will select a set of informants to observe and interact with. The researcher may also apply techniques such as interviews, surveys, document review, etc.

In the field diary, the researcher will write down the impressions of what he/she is experiencing. and observing in order to later organize and analyze it.

The research design is elaborated as the research progresses; first we will enter the field of study to know little by little what questions we ask and how we ask them.

Types of participant observation

The participant observation technique can be of two types depending on the type of observer:

1. outsider and technical observer 2.

In this type, objectivity and accuracy are higher, but the subject's reactivity also increases. It has little ecological validityIt has little ecological validity, i.e., it is difficult to generalize the results to the natural context (beyond laboratory conditions).

An example is the observation made by a psychologist in consultation.

2. Close observer

Reactivity is lower because the observer is someone close to the observed subject, someone from his or her environment, for example the parents. On the other hand, here observation biases (errors) are greater than in the previous one.