Observer's paradox
Encyclopedia
In the social sciences
, the observer's paradox refers to phenomena where the observation of an event or experiment is influenced by the presence of the observer/investigator.
, the term Observer’s Paradox was coined by William Labov
, who stated with regards to the term:
The term refers to the challenge sociolinguists face while doing fieldwork, where the task of gathering data on natural speech is undermined by the researcher’s presence itself. As a field worker attempts to observe the daily vernacular
of a speaker in an interview, the speaker, aware that their speech will be used for scholarly research, is likely to adopt a formal register
. This produces data that is not representative of the speaker’s typical speech, and the paradox lies in the fact that if the researcher was not present, the speaker would use normal vernacular.
" was coined in 1955 by Henry A. Landsberger. Many researchers believe that the evidence that a Hawthorne effect exists has been exaggerated.
' Sociolinguistic Theory, Labov’s “most successful [strategy] in making the subjects forget the unnaturalness of the situation were the recollection of street games and of life-threatening situations. Most reliable in eliciting truly casual speech were fortuitous interruptions by family members and friends while the tape recorder was turned on.” According to Labov, when subjects retell very emotional stories in their life, they are likely to be overtaken by the memory of a significant incident in their life, and therefore would pay less attention to their manner of speech, yielding to a casual style register.
In Labov’s study, “The Social Stratification of (r) in New York City Department Stores,” he aims to “see how people use language in context when there is no explicit observation” (p. 43). He accomplishes this task by asking employees of several different New York Department stores a question designed to elicit the same response - the phrase, “Fourth Floor.” He follows the employee’s response by asking a clarifying question intended to elicit a formal response. Upon receiving an answer, Labov walks away from the speaker and records what he heard. Here, we find an example of Labov interviewing his subjects with the systematic use of rapid and anonymous observations in studying the linguistic structure of different speech communities. According to Labov, this rapid and anonymous approach to interviewing is likely to ensure subjects will resist closely monitoring their speech.
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
, the observer's paradox refers to phenomena where the observation of an event or experiment is influenced by the presence of the observer/investigator.
In linguistics
In the field of sociolinguisticsSociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics is the descriptive study of the effect of any and all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context, on the way language is used, and the effects of language use on society...
, the term Observer’s Paradox was coined by William Labov
William Labov
William Labov born December 4, 1927) is an American linguist, widely regarded as the founder of the discipline of variationist sociolinguistics. He has been described as "an enormously original and influential figure who has created much of the methodology" of sociolinguistics...
, who stated with regards to the term:
“the aim of linguistic research in the community must be to find out how people talk when they are not being systematically observed; yet we can only obtain this data by systematic observation.”
The term refers to the challenge sociolinguists face while doing fieldwork, where the task of gathering data on natural speech is undermined by the researcher’s presence itself. As a field worker attempts to observe the daily vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
of a speaker in an interview, the speaker, aware that their speech will be used for scholarly research, is likely to adopt a formal register
Register (sociolinguistics)
In linguistics, a register is a variety of a language used for a particular purpose or in a particular social setting. For example, when speaking in a formal setting an English speaker may be more likely to adhere more closely to prescribed grammar, pronounce words ending in -ing with a velar nasal...
. This produces data that is not representative of the speaker’s typical speech, and the paradox lies in the fact that if the researcher was not present, the speaker would use normal vernacular.
Hawthorne effect
This variant of the phenomenon is named for the Hawthorne Works, a factory built by Western Electric, where efficiency engineers in the 1920s and 1930s were trying to determine if improved working conditions such as better lighting improved the performance of production workers. The engineers noted that when they provided better working conditions in the production line, efficiency increased. But when the engineers returned the production line to its original conditions and observed the workers, their efficiency increased again. The engineers determined that it was merely the observation of the factory workers, not the changes in the conditions in production line, that increased the measured efficiency. The term, "Hawthorne effectHawthorne effect
The Hawthorne effect is a form of reactivity whereby subjects improve or modify an aspect of their behavior being experimentally measured simply in response to the fact that they know they are being studied, not in response to any particular experimental manipulation.The term was coined in 1950 by...
" was coined in 1955 by Henry A. Landsberger. Many researchers believe that the evidence that a Hawthorne effect exists has been exaggerated.
Overcoming the paradox
Labov believed that the style and register of a subject’s speech was determined by the amount of attention the subject paid to their manner of speech. According to J.K. ChambersJack Chambers (linguist)
J. K. "Jack" Chambers is a Canadian linguist, and a well-known expert on language variation and change, who pioneered research on Canadian English and coined the term "Canadian raising." He has been a professor of linguistics at the University of Toronto since receiving his a Ph.D. from the...
' Sociolinguistic Theory, Labov’s “most successful [strategy] in making the subjects forget the unnaturalness of the situation were the recollection of street games and of life-threatening situations. Most reliable in eliciting truly casual speech were fortuitous interruptions by family members and friends while the tape recorder was turned on.” According to Labov, when subjects retell very emotional stories in their life, they are likely to be overtaken by the memory of a significant incident in their life, and therefore would pay less attention to their manner of speech, yielding to a casual style register.
In Labov’s study, “The Social Stratification of (r) in New York City Department Stores,” he aims to “see how people use language in context when there is no explicit observation” (p. 43). He accomplishes this task by asking employees of several different New York Department stores a question designed to elicit the same response - the phrase, “Fourth Floor.” He follows the employee’s response by asking a clarifying question intended to elicit a formal response. Upon receiving an answer, Labov walks away from the speaker and records what he heard. Here, we find an example of Labov interviewing his subjects with the systematic use of rapid and anonymous observations in studying the linguistic structure of different speech communities. According to Labov, this rapid and anonymous approach to interviewing is likely to ensure subjects will resist closely monitoring their speech.
See also
- In photojournalismPhotojournalismPhotojournalism is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism...
and documentary photographyDocumentary photographyDocumentary photography usually refers to a popular form of photography used to chronicle significant and historical events. It is typically covered in professional photojournalism, but it may also be an amateur, artistic, or academic pursuit...
, the photographer often attempts to avoid photos that appear posed or staged. - In quantum mechanicsQuantum mechanicsQuantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
, Schrödinger's catSchrödinger's catSchrödinger's cat is a thought experiment, usually described as a paradox, devised by Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935. It illustrates what he saw as the problem of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics applied to everyday objects. The scenario presents a cat that might be...
is a thought experimentThought experimentA thought experiment or Gedankenexperiment considers some hypothesis, theory, or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences...
that deals with the issue of quantum indeterminacyQuantum indeterminacyQuantum indeterminacy is the apparent necessary incompleteness in the description of a physical system, that has become one of the characteristics of the standard description of quantum physics...
. - Hawthorne EffectHawthorne effectThe Hawthorne effect is a form of reactivity whereby subjects improve or modify an aspect of their behavior being experimentally measured simply in response to the fact that they know they are being studied, not in response to any particular experimental manipulation.The term was coined in 1950 by...
- Observer effectObserver effectObserver effect may refer to:* Observer effect , the impact of observing a process while it is running* Observer effect , the impact of observing a physical system...
- Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
- List of paradoxes