Research as Human Activity

RESEARCH AS HUMAN ACTIVITY

Observation is one of the few options available for research in studying small animals, tall children, mechanical and complex interactive processes. We gather data as the event occurs and can come closer to the whole event with the help of  interrogation. There are two ways of viewing research. These are:

Ø      Non behavioral Observation

Ø      Behavioral Observation

Non Behavioral Observation

            A prevalent form of observation research is record analysis. This may involve historical or current records and public or private records. They may be written, printed, sound recorded or photographed. Historical standard data are often the only source used for study.   Store audit of merchandise and studies of plant safety compliance, analysis of inventory condition and analysis of financial standards are typical physical process analysis.

            Physical process analysis includes time studies of manufacturing process, traffic flow in a distinction system, paper work flow in an office and the financial flow in our banking system.

Behavioral Observation

The observational study of a person can be classified into four major categories:

Non Verbal Behavior

            Non verbal behaviors are the most prevalent of these and includes body movements, motion, expressions and even exchange of glance. Exchange glances are of important in studies of interpersonal behaviors.

Linguistic Behaviour

            It is a second frequently used form of behavioral observation. One simple type, familiar to most students, is the tally of “yes” a professor makes during a class. More serious applications are the study of what, how and how much information is conveyed in training situation. A third form of linguistic behavior involves interaction process that occurs between two people or in small groups.

Extra linguistic Analysis

            Behaviour may also be analyzed as an extra linguistic level. Sometimes this is as important means of communication as linguistic. There are four dimensions of extra linguistic activity:

Ø      Vocal including pitch, loudness and time.

Ø      Temporal, including the rate of speaking duration of utterance and rhythm.

Ø      Interaction including the tendency to interrupt dominator or inhabit.

Ø      Verbal stylistic, including vocabulary and pronunciation, peculiarities, dialled and characteristics expressions.

Spatial Analysis

            The fourth type of behavioural study involves spatial relationship especially how a person relates physically to others. One form of this study is the concern that how people organize the territory about them and how they maintain distance, distance between themselves and others. A study of how sales people physically approaches customers or a study of the effort affects of working in a work place.

            Often in a study, one will be interested in two more of these types of information. This will refine more than one observer. In these forms of behavioural study, It is o important to consider the relationship between observer and the object.