Discuss+how+and+why+particular+research+methods+are+used+at+the+sociocultural+level+of+analysis.+Observation+Ch.+10-

The goal of sociolcultural research: to see how people interact with each other

 * The majority of research today: more qualitative in nature.
 * The behavior of the participants is as realistic as possible, to avoid studies that lack ecological validity.
 * A significant amount of research is **naturalistic** (“as it really is”)
 * Much of the research is done in the environments in which the behavior is most likely to take place.

→ It was considered to be the most scientific way of obtaining data.
 * Early social psychologists mostly carried out laboratory experiments.

→ To collect data to develop and support a theory. → In spite of its “realism”, it should be noted that the methods mentioned here result in descriptive data so they cannot be used for explaining cause-and-effect relationships.
 * Modern sociolcultural researchers tend to use participant observation, interviews, and focus groups.



Today, social psychologists frequently attempt to **“see the world through the eyes of the people being studied.**” In order to do this, participant observation is used when researchers immerse themselves in a social setting for an extended period of time and observe behavior.

|| T he participants in the group know that they are being observe. || If the researcher does not inform the participants that they are being observed.
 * ** Overt experiment **
 * Require the researcher to gain the trust of the group that is to be observed. ||
 * ** Covert experiment **
 * Used with groups that would be hostile to an outsider observing their behavior, or who would not be open and honest, perhaps because of the illegal nature of their activities.
 * Though the researcher must gain the trust of the members of the group, this is done through deceit.
 * The researcher does not disclose his or her intentions to the members of the group, and then records the participants’ behavior without obtaining informed consent.
 * Covert observers have difficulties taking notes and often have to rely on memory, meaning that their data are open to distortion.
 * Interviews cannot be carried out, for fear of being “discovered”. ||

[|PPP - Qualitative research 1] [|PPP - Qualitative research 2]

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The goal of sociolcultural research is to see how people interact with each other. The majority of research today is more qualitative in nature. Usually, modern sociolcultural researchers who strive to collect data and support a theory tend to use participant observation, interviews, and focus groups. Participant observation is used since they frequently attempt to see the world through the eyes of the people being studied. There are two types of observation: overt observation and covert observation. Overt observation requires the researcher to gain the trust of the group that is to be observed. On the other hand, covert observation is required when the researcher does not inform the participants that they are being observed. It can be used with groups that would be hostile to an outsider observing their behavior, or who would not be open and honest, perhaps because of the illegal nature of their activities. =====