Technical Writing Observer Impact When

Technical Writing

Observer Impact

When conducting observational research it is significant for researcher to be aware of observer impact and how it affects validity. In observational research, results can be altered or biased by proceed of measurement itself. This is known as a measurement effect. One kind of measurement effect is called an observer effect. This frequently takes place when people change their behavior just because they know that there is observers present watching them. For instance, a developmental psychology student might choose to study parent and child exchanges by bringing video equipment into homes and recording the behavior of parents and children. The attendance of an observer is liable to change the behavior of both parents and children. "Similar problems affect every television documentary about particular societies or cultures: it is always possible that the presence of a camera changes behavior" (Measurement and Observer Effects, 2007).

Observer effect refers to the reality that the presence of an observer can have a considerable effect on the behavior of people and consequently on the outcomes of the study. The data described may imitate more the biases of the observer. Observer bias refers to the likelihood that certain characteristics or thoughts of observers may bias what they observe. This is almost certainly true no matter how independent the researcher attempts to be. No one can be completely objective all the time. Everyone is influenced in one way or another by past experience. Observer anticipation is when the researchers know they are observing participants with certain characteristics and then may anticipate a certain kind of behavior. The use of audiotapes and videotapes can help in some ways to guard against any selective observations that might take place (Principles Supporting Qualitative Research, n.d.).

One way to stay away from observer effects is to use inconspicuous measures in which the subject is not conscious that they are being observed or tested. An inconspicuous study of parent and child interactions in a department store might use video records from security cameras. Inconspicuous measures are used to avert the observer effects that may take place when a person knows that they are being observed (Measurement and Observer Effects, 2007).

Another issue that observers have to watch out for is the effects of the Hawthorne Effect. This concept is the inclination of some people to work harder and perform better when they are participants in an experiment and they know they are being watched. People may modify their behavior due to the consideration they are receiving from researchers rather than because of any exploitation of independent variables. It is thought that individual behaviors may be altered by the study itself, rather than the effects the study (Cherry, 2012).

Observer-expectancy is a methodical mistake formed in observational data by an observer's expectations or wishes. The error is strongly connected with observations of variables that necessitate subjective assessment. Such assessments are normal in some research, and an anticipation is more often than not intrinsic in hypothesis testing, a significant tool of predictive science. "Researchers in some disciplines that are sensitive to the problem commonly employ techniques such as blind experiments, film records, and inter-observer reliability checks to reduce or monitor the bias" (Balph & Romesbur, n.d.).