Participant observation, in which the researcher or an assistant actively participates in the research situation, can be performed either disguised or undisguised. When disguised, the researcher does not want the population sample to know they are being observed, whereas in undisguised participant observation, the researcher may interact fully personal) observation and mechanical observation are classified into modes of observation that are overarching themes through which observation methods of structured v. unstructured, disguised v. undisguised, and natural versus contrived observations can be applied (Malhotra, 2007). Importance . In one textbook, Participant versus Non-participant Participant observation: the researcher/observer joins a group and observes their activities, while at the same time taking care to observe what is going on Non-participant observation: the researcher/observer simply observes the activities, but doesn't take part in them 9. In one study, for example, researchers video-recorded a subset of their participants' reactions and had two observers independently code them. The two observers showed that they agreed on the reactions that were exhibited 97% of the time, indicating good interrater reliability. In undisguised participant observation, the ethnographer becomes a part of the group being observed and reveals his or her identity as a researcher to the group. This technique is more prone to reactivity, unlike disguised participant observation. For example when we study the rural and urban conditions of Asian people, we have to go there and watched what is going on. The best philosophy of participant observation is that we watch the phenomena not to ask. The actual behavior of the group can be observed only by participant observation not by any other method. Merits For example, the researcher in an exploratory study may be a participant observer or a non- participant or a disguised observer. A particular research situation may demand the coupling of participant observation with a highly structured observational instrument. o Undisguised participant observer o Disguised participant observer • Structured Observation - often the researcher decides to intervene in order to cause an event to occur or to set up a situation so that events can be more easily recorded (i.e., offer free passes to guests so that they will visit certain exhibits you want to Example, the 30-minute observation period is divided into 10 one-minute intervals. The child was observed in a group play during 12 of the 30-minute intervals. Observational Method. Undisguised (open/overt) observations. Presence of researcher is known. Dr. Smith would be an undisguised participant observer. Researchers may sometimes