Researchers Sellitz, Wrightsman, and Cook (1976 ) described three purposes of using observational research. Please list and briefly explain each

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Observational research may be performed for purposes of description, such as describing how children respond immediately after viewing a violent video clip or how infants respond when their parents leave them unattended. This research method is used when the subject matter does not lend itself to other methods. For example, near ground zero of the World Trade Center catastrophe in 2001, children were in their school classrooms when the tragedy took place. If researchers were present at this site, they could have more accurately recorded the immediate reactions and responses of the children, directly assessed the impact of the tragedy on these students, and ultimately created educational or counseling programs that truly met and reflected the needs of the children. Observational research is appropriate when other research methods are inaccurate. When trying, for example, to ascertain information about behaviors, experiences, and attitudes, observational research may allow researchers to observe and record accurate descriptions of behavior that other methods would not permit. The results of such studies may, in some cases, be representative of the larger population and not just relevant to the sample studied.