Observation involves travelling, staying at the place of phenomena and purchasing of sophisticated equipment’s. It requires high cost, plenty of time and hard effort. It sometimes reduces the interest of both observer and observed to continue their observation process. Young rightly remarks that the valid observation cannot be hurried we cannot complete our investigation in a short period through observation. The observer may have his own ideas of right and wrong or he may have different pre-conceptions regarding an event which kills the objectivity in social research. The personal bias, personal view or looking at things in a particular way often creates obstacle for making valid generalization. Only those observers who are having the technical knowledge about the observation can make scientific observation. One person may find something meaningful and useful from a situation but the other may find nothing from it. Two persons may judge the same phenomena differently. One is never sure that what he is observing is the same as it appears to his eyes. Young remarks that in observation, no attempt is made to use instruments of precision to check the accuracy of the phenomenon. The relative-ness of the social phenomena and the personal bias of the observer again create difficulty for making valid generalization in observation. (4) Lack of Reliability:īecause social phenomena cannot be controlled or used for laboratory experiments, generalizations made by observation method are not very reliable. The researcher may employ other methods like case study interview etc. For example, love, affection, feeling and emotion of parents towards their children are not open to our senses and also cannot be quantified by observational techniques. Most of the social phenomenon is abstract in nature. (3) Not all Occurrences Lend Themselves to Observational Study: Nobody knows when such an event will take place. For example, the quarrel and fight between two individuals or groups is never certain. On the other hand, it may not occur in the constant presence of the observer. The event may take place in the absence of the observer. It is a difficult task on the part of the researcher to determine their time and place. Many social events are very much uncertain in nature. Such problems arise because of the uncertainty of the event. (2) Not all Occurrences Open to Observation can be Observed when Observer is at Hand: In most of the cases people do not allow the outsider to study their activities. For example, no couple will allow the researcher to observe their sexual activities. There are many personal behaviours or secret activities which are not open for observation. Limitations of Observation: (1) Some of the Occurrences may not be Open to Observation: Observation is ever possible without the knowledge of the respondents. Although observation cannot always overcome such problems, still relatively speaking it requires less active co-operation and willingness of respondents. Some people do not have time or required skill to provide important information to the researcher. Often some respondents do not like to speak about themselves to an outsider. Observation does not require the willingness of the people to provide various information about them. (6) Independent of People’s Willingness to Report: For deaf and dumb persons, for serious cases of abnormality or mad persons, for non-cooperative persons, for too shy persons and for persons who do not understand the language of researcher, observation will be the only appropriate tool. In the case of animals observation is the only way out. Observation is indispensable for studies on infants who can neither understand the quarries of the researcher nor express themselves clearly. Observation can deal with phenomena which are not capable of giving verbal information about their behaviour, feeling and activities simply for the reason that they cannot speak e.g. (5) Observation is the Only Appropriate Tool for Certain Cases: As a common method, it is very easily followed and accepted. So it has greater universality of practice. Observation is a common method used in all sciences, whether physical or social. So very often the data collected through observation is more reliable than these collected through interview or questionnaire. He can apply various devices to test the reliability of their behaviour. But in observation the observer can directly check the accuracy from the observed. ![]() So these are indirect methods and here the investigator does not have any means to examine the accuracy of the data supplied by them. In other methods like interview, questionnaire etc., the researcher has to depend on information provided by the respondents.
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