As a researcher interested in young children's motivation to read, Cynthia works as a volunteer in a pre-kindergarten setting for approximately 6 months as she collects data regarding children's reading motivation. In this scenario, Cynthia is best described as a
A) participant observer.
B) nonparticipant observer.
C) covert observer.
D) experienced observer.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cynthia is actively engaging in the setting as a volunteer and collecting data through observation, which makes her a participant observer. She is immersed in the environment and experiencing it firsthand while also gathering data. A nonparticipant observer would be someone who observes from outside the setting and does not participate in it. A covert observer would attempt to observe without the knowledge of the participants, which is not the case here. And while Cynthia may have some level of experience, the prompt does not provide enough information to classify her as an experienced observer.

As a Researcher Interested in Young Children's Motivation to Read