Objective Observation in Psychology | External Observation in Psychology

External or objective observation has always been called the tool of science. In fact, it has always been a prerequisite for a good scientist to have a good observation. This method is a respectable and scientific way of gathering information.

The process of objective observation is very simple, but the work that follows is laborious.

1. The observer only observes the people and the environment in which he is interested. And records even the smallest detail about them with complete accuracy.
2. Objective Observation works according to rules and regulations.
3. The question or questions should be clear in the mind of the observer, before he makes an objective observation of an object or an individual.
4. There can be thousands or even millions of observations. So, it is very important for the observer to focus on the aspect of the character that needs to be observed. 

Jane Piaget, who specializes in child psychology. He was a strong supporter of this objective observation method. According to this, as children progress, they answer the best questions asked in the past. That is, with age and experience, there is a significant qualitative change in the answers.

Characteristics of Objective Observation Expert

There are some important qualities of an objective observation expert. 

1. It is also important for the observer to be trained and impartial.
2. Not only sound education but his alertness and dedication too are most required.
3. The observer should not be clumsy so that he can feel the difference between real and partial movements.
4. He knows the circumstances of the person under observation.
5. He may not know the positive and negative factors of the person concerned in advance.
6. He should not love or hate the person who under observation so that he cannot reduce or increase his status.
7. Personal likes and dislikes should not be involved in the observation.

External or objective observation studies the movements that take place in living organisms. To understand the inner state of others, we have to study their role.

Because when we compare the character of others with our inner state that we think and feel like this under these circumstances, others will think and feel the same way under these circumstances.

It is as if we seek to understand the minds of others in the light of our own experiences. In this regard, we have to carefully study the movements and movements of others, physical changes, and excitement in order to accurately assess their mental state.

Benefits or Advantages of Objective Observation

There are some benefits or advantages of external or objective observation.

1. It helps to study the role of other people. Observation of character is used to understand the minds of others. We can study our own minds, but in order to understand other minds, we study their external movements.
2. Only through external or objective observation, we may study children, animals, and the insane. What is observed is their character and their inner condition can be judged by the character itself. Because they cannot express their inner state or feelings themselves.
3. Not all internal conditions are known through inner study. For example, there is difficulty with unconscious states. In this case, only external or objective observation is used. It is through a character that conscious and unconscious states are known.
4. With the help of this method, the obtained results can be repeated and their health can also be checked. This method has transformed psychology into scientific and objective knowledge. When we compare our inner state with the character of others under our own circumstances, it becomes clear that there are similarities between our character and the character of others under certain circumstances and laws.
5. Character is also studied through various trials, for this purpose various trials have also been explained which have promoted psychology.
6. This method not only gives us knowledge of the character but also helps us to control the human mind, and can also make predictions about it.
7. One of Morgan's principles is that if there are two hypotheses about an animal character, one simple, and the other complex, we must always adopt a simple hypothesis. For example, if the dog is lying down, we should not assume that the dog is thinking of a solution to philosophical problems, but it would be better to say that the dog is resting. It is not right to attribute human qualities to animals.
8. This method has made psychology a science. Its access is objective and standard. Its breadth is also greater than the inner observation.

Disadvantages of External or Objective Observation

There are also some disadvantages of external or objective observation. 

1. The first flaw in this method is that we compare our inner state with the character of others. The kind of character we show under certain circumstances. It assumes that other humans and animals think and feel the same way we do. So try to test others on the same criteria. Which is why they are sometimes deceived.
2. In external or objective observation sometimes we cannot understand the role of others, for example, it becomes difficult for adults to understand children, because they have passed a certain age, they cannot understand the feelings of children to such an extent. Likewise, children cannot understand the feelings, thoughts, and desires of adults because they do not understand them. Children often make mistakes when it comes to adults and adults also make mistakes when they come to children.
3. By this method, we cannot study the actions of reasoning and thinking directly. In order to know the minds of others, we have to resort to their external role, while the mind does not always show an observable character, but our thoughts and feelings continue behind the scenes, which others may not know about.

Conclusion

In spite of all this, it can be said that the access to external or objective observation is objective and standard, and its scope is more than internal observation or introspection method in psychology.

Introspection in Psychology