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Define disguised participant observation and state its primary advantage over undisguised participant observation in terms of participant behavior.
Question: Define disguised participant observation and state its primary advantage over undisguised participant observation in terms of participant behavior.
Sample answer: Disguised participant observation is a research method where researchers become active members of the social group they are studying while completely concealing their true identities and research intentions. The primary advantage of this covert approach over undisguised observation is that it is less susceptible to participant reactivity, meaning people behave more naturally because they do not know they are being studied.
Key points:
- Researchers become active members of the social group they are studying.
- Researchers completely conceal their true identities.
- Researchers completely conceal their research intentions.
- The method is less susceptible to participant reactivity than undisguised observation.
- People behave more naturally when they do not know they are being studied.
Rubric: The response must accurately define disguised participant observation by stating that researchers actively join the group and conceal their true identities and intentions. It must also correctly identify the key advantage as reduced participant reactivity (or that participants behave more naturally).
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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