How do observations differ from experiments by a physicist? What is the difference between observations and experiments?

It is generally accepted that the defining property of observation is its non-intervention into the processes being studied, in contrast to the active implementation into the area under study that is carried out during experimentation. In general, this statement is correct. However, upon closer examination, it needs to be clarified: after all, observation is also in to a certain extent active. There are also situations when observation itself will be impossible without intervention in the object being studied. For example, in histology, without preliminary dissection and staining of living tissue, there will simply be nothing to observe.

The observational intervention of the researcher is aimed at achieving optimal conditions for the same observations. The observer's task is to obtain a set of primary data about the object. Of course, in this totality, certain dependencies of data groups on each other, some regularities and trends are often already visible. Preliminary guesses and assumptions about important connections may arise in the researcher during the observation itself. However, the researcher does not change the structure this data does not interfere with the data recorded by it relationship between phenomena.

So, if the phenomena A And IN accompany each other throughout the entire series of observations, then the researcher only records their coexistence (without trying, say, to cause the phenomenon A in the absence IN). This means that empirical material during observation increases extensive by - by expanding observations and accumulating data. We repeat a series of observations, increase the duration and detail of perception, study new aspects of the original phenomenon, etc.

In an experiment, the researcher takes a different position. Here, active intervention is carried out in the area under study in order to isolate various kinds of connections in it. Unlike observation, in an experimental research situation the experimental material grows intense way. The scientist is not interested in accumulating more and more new data, but allocation in the empirical material there are some significant dependencies. Using various controlling influences, the researcher tries to discard everything unimportant and penetrate into the very interconnections of the area under study. An experiment is an intensification of experience, its detailing and deepening.

In general, the relationship between the experimental and observational components is complex, depending each time on the specific circumstances of the study. It should be understood that in their “pure form” observation and experiment are, rather, idealized strategies. IN different situations As a rule, the methodological strategy of either observation or experiment predominates. It is by this predominance that we qualify this or that research situation. Exploring remote space objects we, of course, call observation. And conducting an experimental laboratory intervention with predetermined objectives (say, testing a working hypothesis) and clearly defined dependent and independent variables comes close to the ideal of a “pure experiment.”

Thus, observation and experiment are idealized strategies actions in real research situations. The activity of the researcher during observation is aimed at the extensification of empirical data., and during experimentation - to deepen them, intensification.

Federal Agency for Education

Federal State Educational Institution

Higher professional education

St. Petersburg State University

Faculty of Journalism

Coursework on the topic

“The main differences between the observation method and experiment”

Discipline: Basics creative activity journalist

Completed: 2nd year student, 7th full-time group, specialty “Journalism” Tsuman A.P.

Scientific supervisor: political candidate sciences

Baychik A.V.

Saint Petersburg

Introduction 4

Chapter 1. Characteristics of methods 6

1.1 Observation method 6

1.2 Experiment 11

Chapter 2. Analysis of publications 16

Conclusion 20

References 22

Applications 23

Introduction

In the very general meaning method - a path or way of achieving a goal, a certain ordered activity. It is also a system of intangible means of cognition and transformation of reality; a way of cognition and practical activity, which is a sequence of certain operations. Method also means a special system for processing and analyzing the content of the phenomenon being studied. Today, method is understood as a way of knowing, studying natural phenomena and social life.

Some researchers believe that journalism does not have its own methods; it borrows them from other sciences of sociology, psychology, literary logic, and economics 1 . An unambiguous answer to the question whether it is worth highlighting the specifics of journalism as a science and comparing its methods with other areas scientific activity, not yet. However, in this work we will try not to touch upon such “pitfalls”.

A journalist in his creative work uses various ways of interpreting situations and phenomena that he witnesses, explains or comments on the facts that he encounters. He deals with various forms of knowledge - scientific, non-scientific, empirical, thus mastering reality and cognizing the world around him. IN ideal The main goal of a journalist’s knowledge is to find the truth and accurately convey this truth to the reader, so the question cannot help but arise about the reliability of the facts presented. In many ways, the objectivity and truth of what a journalist writes depends on the degree of mastery of the methods of mastering reality. Prominent representatives of such methods are observation and experiment. Both of these methods belong to the group of rational-cognitive methods, and more specifically, to the empirical level of knowledge 1, and their result appears in journalism as a stream of information publications 2.

So, finding the differences between observational method and experiment is of interest and relevant for research because:

Firstly, today there is a tendency towards complementarity and interpenetration of methods, which increases the level of culture of journalistic work.

Secondly, it is still important to understand the boundaries of the application of methods and techniques and not allow the possibility of their overlap.

Purpose The work is to analyze and find the main differences between two methods of journalism - observation and experiment.

The goal is revealed through the following tasks:

explore each method separately;

analyze examples of the use of these methods in journalistic creativity;

find distinctive features each method;

draw conclusions from the study.

Chapter 1. Characteristics of methods

1.1 Observation method

Observation is one of the methods for collecting sociological information, which allows you to study an object in a multifaceted way, therefore it is distinguished among traditional methods first of all. The use of this method is associated with obtaining preliminary material about social facility and to obtain primary information on any problem. As G.V. Lazutina writes, the key link here is “a person’s ability to perceive the objective-sensory concreteness of the world in the process of audiovisual contacts with it” 1 . Journalistic observation can act as both a primary and an additional method and, unlike ordinary observation, always has a goal and a clearly defined character. “It is the intentionality of perception and awareness of tasks that allows you to look - and see” 2. It is no coincidence that this is one of the very first methods that is explained to students.

The subject of journalistic observation is the person himself, his appearance, character, how and what he says, his behavior, as well as his reaction to what is happening, including various aspects of the relationship and interaction of the individual and the team. The nature of communication, the level of culture of the individual, the means of communication (such as gestures, facial expressions, words, speech), and even the surrounding material environment are given attention. Therefore, the observation method is very often used in the work of a reporter, for which there are many other reasons: a journalist, being involved in a certain event, has the opportunity to trace its dynamics. The material creates an atmosphere of involvement in what is happening before the reporter’s eyes. A journalist can identify some of the most significant characteristics of an event and determine the factors under the influence of which the characteristics of the objects observed in the event change. Also, direct observation of people’s behavior allows us to see details that are inconspicuous at first glance, characteristic personality traits 1 .

There are several types of journalistic observation. They are classified based on various criteria, for example, methods of organization, subject, nature of the information of interest.

On the first basis, observation is divided into hidden And open. A distinctive feature of open observation is that a journalist, having arrived to carry out a task, say, in some organization, declares his goal, editorial task, and what help he may need from the employees of this organization. So, the people with whom he will communicate know that among them there is a journalist collecting material for publication, they can imagine the nature of this speech (positive or negative) and behave accordingly.

Unlike open, covert surveillance implies that the journalist, for a certain period of time, does not inform the people whose actions he is observing that he is a journalist and is collecting the information he needs, as well as what type of information interests him. Moreover, they may never know that a journalist was among them. Covert observation is most often used when studying any conflict situations in individual teams or during a journalistic investigation. Before the investigation, the journalist has a fragment of the information picture, checks it, and reconstructs the picture again. Often a journalist conducting an investigation becomes a participant in an event, influencing its course and shaping the outcome.

Depending on the conditions of studying the subject to which the journalist’s attention is directed, observation can be classified as direct And indirect. In the first case, the author observes the object directly, in the second (due to its remoteness, hiddenness or other conditions) - using indirect data, that is, indirectly.

Observations are also divided according to time: short-term And long-term. If the publication needs to be prepared as quickly as possible, short-term observation is used. Long-term observation is used when it is necessary to study a subject thoroughly and in detail. Long-term observation is not necessarily one-time: a journalist can repeatedly return to the life of a group and observe the changes taking place for several years. This type of observation is widely used when working in analytical genres.

IN structured observation a journalist records events according to a clearly defined plan, or, more precisely, a procedure, and in unstructured – conducts observation in a free search, focusing only on general ideas about the situation. But still, the journalist should adhere to an indicative plan for conducting observation. Such a plan helps to correctly determine the aspect of observation, its order and conditions.

Field observation involves working in natural conditions, and laboratory– in certain situations constructed by the journalist.

Systematic observation presupposes the journalist’s attention to a particular situation at certain periods of time, and unsystematic– spontaneity in the choice of the observed phenomenon. 1

The features of journalistic observation can be predetermined by such factors as the degree of participation of the journalist in the event that he is observing. On this basis, observations can be divided into included And not included. How did A.A. characterize this division? Tertychny, “in the first case, the journalist becomes, for example, a member of the crew of a fishing trawler and works on board together with other fishermen. Non-participant observation is the study of some activity from the outside, when preparing, for example, a report on a volcanic eruption, sports competition, etc.” 1 Indeed, in the second case, the correspondent tries not to interfere with what is happening, quite consciously taking a neutral position. He, as a rule, is outside the situation and does not contact the participants in the event. This type of observation is most often used to better describe the social atmosphere, for example, around elections, public events, reforms. Included observation presupposes the participation of the journalist in the situation itself. He does this consciously, changing, for example, his profession or introducing himself into a certain social group to recognize the object from the inside. A “change of profession” is possible in cases where the reporter is confident that his unprofessional or unskilled actions will not cause physical or moral harm to people. For example, media employees are prohibited from introducing themselves as doctors, lawyers, judges, or government employees. Prohibitions of this kind are provided for both by the relevant norms of journalistic ethics and by certain articles of legislation. The famous journalist N. Nikitin gives specific practical advice to novice journalists: “... the basic principle is to be who you say you are” 2 . Thus, the journalist seeks to identify and show the reader some situations that are characteristic of the implementation environment. He sets himself a reporter's task - to participate in the action along with his heroes or experience some difficulties. A report made using the participant observation method can be a winning form of presenting material. However, this should not be a simple act of pretending, a game of “dressing up”. It is important that a journalist has a professional goal - to positively influence a situation or find ways to solve a problem.

Speaking about participant observation, it is important to pay attention to some difficulties associated both with this type and with the entire observation method in general. Firstly, it is important to understand that most often we are dealing with some private and unique situations that cannot always be “played out” again. The main problem is the irreversibility of certain phenomena of social life. A journalist has to deal with human emotions, sometimes complex and even conflictual interpersonal relationships. Secondly, the quality of primary information can also be affected by people’s subjective assessments, their value orientations, established ideas, stereotypes and interests. “People’s reaction to the presence of an observer is not always clear. But in most cases, people react negatively to the presence of strangers (especially journalists) who are closely watching them. People can change their behavior if they feel they are being watched." 1

That is why the information and impressions received by a journalist are in dire need of mandatory double-checking in order to once again be convinced not so much of their reliability as of their objectivity. Sociologist V. A. Yadov suggests following rules guidelines that should be followed to improve the validity and stability of the data:

Classify as detailed as possible the elements of events to be monitored, using clear indicators;

If the main observation is carried out by several persons, they compare their impressions and agree on assessments and interpretation of events, using a single recording technique, thereby increasing the stability of observation data;

The same object should be observed in different situations(normal and stressful, standard and conflict), which allows you to see it from different sides;

It is necessary to clearly distinguish and record the content, forms of manifestation of observed events and their quantitative characteristics(intensity, regularity, periodicity, frequency);

It is important to ensure that the description of events is not confused with their interpretation, therefore the protocol should have special columns for recording factual data and for their interpretation;

When participant or non-participant observation is carried out by one of the researchers, it is especially important to monitor the validity of the interpretation of the data, seeking to cross-check one's impressions with the help of various possible interpretations 1 .

So, based on these features of observation, we can say that as an independent method, observation is best used in studies that do not require representative data, as well as in cases where information cannot be obtained by any other methods.

1.2 Experiment

In its general meaning, an experiment is a set of actions performed to test the truth or falsity of a hypothesis or the scientific study of cause-and-effect relationships between phenomena. The researcher is trying to change external conditions so as to influence the object being studied. In this case, an external influence on an object is considered a cause, and a change in the state or behavior of an object is considered a consequence.

Translated from Latin, the word “experiment” means “test” or “experience”. In general, an experiment is a complex method that combines various methods of collecting material. 1 With its help, the reaction of the object being studied to the experimental factor is established, under the influence of which this or that activity of the object being studied is manifested. The experiment is divided into the following stages:

Collection of information.

Observation of a phenomenon.

1. Developing a hypothesis to explain a phenomenon.

   Developing a theory that explains a phenomenon based on assumptions more broadly. 2

The experimental factor can be introduced from the outside, or it can be contained in objects and become such under the control and control of the experimenter. The experiment itself can take place both in a natural environment and in an artificial one. The latter is called a “laboratory experiment”, and helps to achieve greater accuracy, controllability and preservation of its conditions. The regularity of the manifestation of certain events can be identified by comparing facts and systematizing them.

A journalistic experiment, the object of which is various human relationships, is characterized, as in other social sciences, by the abundance and complexity of factors that influence the state of the object. A journalistic experiment does not deal with an action that has already been committed and can be carried out for any reason. It often carries a certain intrigue. It arises because not all participants in the experiment know that they are participating in it.

The experimental method in journalism is often identified with the participant observation method, and there are reasons for this:

As in participant observation, the experimental journalist maintains a direct relationship with the object of study.

An experiment, like an observation, can be carried out secretly.

The experiment refers to visual means of studying social reality.

However, despite the fact that the main features are common, the experiment has its own special features and characteristics. “An experiment is understood as a research method based on controlling the behavior of an object with the help of a number of factors influencing it, control over the action of which is in the hands of the researcher” 1. I would also like to point out that experiment is an “active” method of studying reality. That is, if observation allows you to answer the questions “How?”, “When?” and “How?”, the experiment answers one question “Why?”.

In an experiment, an object is a means to create an artificial situation. This is done so that the journalist can test his hypotheses in practice, “play out” certain everyday circumstances that would allow him to better understand the object being studied. In addition, any experiment involves not only the cognitive interest of the journalist-researcher, but also the managerial one. If in participant observation the correspondent is more of a recorder of events, then by participating in the experiment he has the right to intervene in the situation, influencing its participants, managing them and making some decisions.

According to V.P. Talovov, “The influence on the observed objects during his /experiment/ is not only permissible, but is precisely what is assumed. Correspondents who resort to experimentation do not wait for people, certain officials, or entire services to reveal themselves spontaneously, i.e. arbitrary, natural way. This disclosure is deliberately caused, purposefully “organized” by themselves... An experiment is an observation accompanied by the intervention of an observer in the processes and phenomena being studied; under certain conditions, an artificial challenge, a conscious “provocation” of these latter” 1 .

Thus, the experiment is associated with the creation of an artificial impulse designed to reveal certain aspects of the object being studied. A journalist has the opportunity to conduct an experiment on himself, infiltrating the social group he needs, that is, becoming something like a “figurehead.” At the same time, he not only influences the situation, but also strives to attract all those interested in him to the experiment.

Experiments can vary in degree of complexity. Often the journalist limits himself to the simplest task and accordingly applies a rudimentary form of experiment. However, when a journalist sets himself much more difficult task, then it is quite problematic to carry out a corresponding experimental verification of the initial assumption at the required level, therefore, when planning and conducting an experiment, it is necessary to take into account the following points:

Determine its goals and objectives even before the start of the experiment (study the situation well, collect preliminary information about potential participants, study available documents and other sources, and also outline the subject of study, what will be of particular interest in the object of research).

Determine the location of action (whether the experiment will be carried out in natural or laboratory conditions).

Prepare both yourself (the journalist) and other participants in the operation.

After the journalist has determined the conditions under which the action will take place, he should form working hypotheses and select an indicator of the impact on the experimental situation. And only after this it is decided what methods to record and control the research process. In the structure of the experimental situation, L. V. Kashinskaya identifies the following elements:

initial state of the object influencing factor final state of the object

“The journalist’s initial state of the object is usually recorded, that is, there is certain starting information. But this same information also contains those motivating motives that necessitate the creation of an experimental situation:

Insufficient information necessary for the journalist to verify or clarify his hypothesis.

It is impossible to obtain such information using conventional methods.

The need to obtain psychologically reliable arguments" 1.

I would also like to draw attention to the fact that conducting an experiment requires special qualifications and mastery of special tools, and this is often only possible with the participation of an experienced consultant.

When the description of the course of the experiment becomes the main content of the publication, the experimental method can act as the dominant genre-forming feature. Therefore, classifying the publication as an experiment, it should be emphasized that it is about an artificial, subject-practical situation specially organized by the journalist himself 2 .

IN lately experiment is increasingly used in journalism, especially electronic journalism. The method of recreating an artificial situation into which unsuspecting people find themselves can be found in various television programs (for example, “Town” and “Prank”). These experiments are carried out with the aim of identifying any behavioral reactions people to unusual situations. Publications in the experimental genre are advantageous for a journalist in that they usually allow the creation of texts that have dynamic features and a “living” visual presentation of the material. They allow you to combine the principles of analytics and reporting. In other words, the author of the experiment not only analyzes some phenomenon, but also uses the detailed description of the created situation inherent in the report. But still, it is advisable to carry out an experiment in journalistic practice only in individual cases, when the task is to gain a deeper insight into life. In this case, it is necessary to control all stages of preparation for it as carefully as possible.

Chapter 2. Analysis of publications

So, to more clearly identify the differences between the observational method and the experiment, we will compare two publications: “How much does politeness cost? Or wrap me a kilogram of peaches in separate bags” (see Appendix 1), published on the website http://www.myjulia.ru and “Komi Voyagers”, published under the heading “Trends” in No. 43 (073) of the Russian magazine reporter" (see Appendix 2).

Speaking about the first publication, we can confidently note that it falls within the definition of an experiment. Firstly, the author deliberately inserts himself into a social group, acts as a “dummy figure,” namely, he appears in the image of an ordinary consumer. Secondly, the journalist himself determines the factor of influence on the object of research (sellers), deliberately provoking them, for example, offering to hang exactly 143 grams of kvass or one candy of each type. And the characters of trade workers are revealed in the most natural way: “Is that right for you? Maybe I can cut it smaller?” or “Girl, what are you doing? No! Nooo!!! My work will be like this. I won't weigh it. This all needs to be calculated on a calculator. No. Don't want".

The author clearly defined the purpose of his research - to show the attitude of sellers towards an ordinary buyer and understand the reasons for such an attitude. His task is to penetrate deeply into a seemingly ordinary situation (holiday shopping). Naturally, at the end of the study, the conclusion follows: “They were ready to cut, hang, wrap and do whatever they wanted with the products I bought, which was within the power of the sellers. Only those in whom laziness prevailed over other human qualities were refused. And I also realized that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask the seller to help you.”

The genre of this publication can be defined as a journalistic experiment, because the subject-practical situation here was created artificially and specially organized by the journalist himself, who most likely could not use any other methods and needed reliable psychological arguments. Thus, the creation of an experimental situation is fully motivated.

Now let’s look at the second publication called “Komi Voyagers”. Here the author shows us one of the most pressing problems of Russia and especially the Nenets Autonomous Okrug– the problem of transport communication. The journalist did not have enough indirect information to fully cover this problem, so he goes on a trip with the “stalker” truck drivers along the “most bad road in Russia."

So we see the observation method in action. In our opinion, it serves as the main method here. The publication itself is written in the reporting genre (as mentioned earlier, observation is one of key methods in the work of a reporter). A journalist pays a lot of attention to describing the characters of the people he encounters. He accurately notes the peculiarities of everyone’s speech, gives examples of “stalker jargon”: “nyasha”, “serpentine”, “washboard”, etc.

The author's speech as a whole is of a narrative and descriptive nature. Details of the road, such as an overturned truck and its drunken driver, pulling out a truck stuck in the mud, as well as an abundance of dialogues make the reader involved in this trip; the dynamics of the event are very well traced.

The journalist conveys to us only a subjective vision of the situation, and not even his own, but the heroes of the story. Whether they can be trusted or not, the reader does not know.

The nature of the observation is open (truck drivers most likely know that there is a journalist among them), structured (the journalist records events according to a clearly defined plan), carried out in the field and participatory (the author does not observe the situation from the outside, but he himself, together with the truck drivers, commits A 70-kilometer off-road raid, that is, his task is to experience all the difficulties for himself, and also shows the reader situations characteristic of the environment in which he is embedded: mutual assistance between drivers, the struggle for a place on the ferry).

Summarizing the analysis of publications, we can immediately identify the main difference between observation and experiment. In the first case, the journalist himself creates the situation in which he works, and his task is to confirm the hypothesis and the corresponding conclusion. In the case of observation, the situation is different - the author is involved in a natural event, which he cannot control in any way. The main goal here is to cover an event or issue, as well as accurately and accessiblely convey informative details to the reader.

Conclusion

So, having analyzed the scientific works of many authors and thoroughly compared two recent publications in the media, we can say with confidence that the observation method and the experiment, despite their external similarity, have a number of quite significant differences, namely:

during observation, the journalist deals with events that often cannot be repeated or replayed; in an experiment, the journalist himself creates the situation that he needs to investigate;

the purpose of the experiment is to test the hypothesis posed by the journalist at the beginning of the study, and the purpose of observation is to describe and accurately convey the details of the situation being studied;

during observation, a journalist cannot interfere with the course of research, being only a recorder of an event or phenomenon, but during an experiment, on the contrary, he uses a set of tools that provoke the object of study to certain actions, thus managing it and making decisions;

the result of an observation may be based on the journalist’s subjective view of the event and require additional verification, while the result of the experiment is actually objective and is a confirmation or refutation of the hypothesis proposed by the journalist;

works written using the observation method are informative and descriptive in nature, in contrast to works written using an experiment, which are representatives of analytical genres.

Summing up the research, it is still worth noting that both methods are important tools in the arsenal of a professional journalist, as well as the main ways of researching and understanding the reality around us. Their use in publications brings a sense of involvement, empathy for the situations described in them, and from some of them the reader can derive specific practical benefits for himself. But we must not forget that they require special training and the presence of a fixed, if not strict, action plan. It is also necessary to be careful when working in the field of human relations, because one of the fundamental principles of a journalist’s work is “do no harm.”

References

Kashinskaya L.V. Experiment as a method of journalistic activity // Vestn. Moscow un-ta. Ser. 10. Journalism, 1986. No. 6.

Kim M.N . Technology for creating a journalistic work. St. Petersburg, 2001.

Lazutina G.V. Technology and methodology of journalistic creativity. M., 1988.

Melnik G.S., Kim M.N. Journalism methods. St. Petersburg: Publishing House of Mikhailov V.A., 2006.

Nikitin N. Option of work - unspoken // Journalist. 1997. No. 2.

Smirnov V.A. Levels and stages of the process of cognition//Problems of the logic of scientific knowledge. M., 1964.

Talovov V.P. The work of a journalist: Methods and techniques of journalistic communication. L., 1983.

Tertychny A.A. Genres of periodicals. M.: Aspect Press, 2000.

Yadov V.A. Sociological research: methodology, program, methods. Samara, 1995.

Applications

1 Melnik G.S., Kim M.N. Journalism methods. St. Petersburg: Publishing House of Mikhailov V.A., 2006.

Experiment different from observations first...

While looking after my little son, I constantly see him making new discoveries by observing the world and conducting small experiments. Now he himself does not know what these concepts mean and how they differ. But when he's a little older, this is what I'll tell him.

My observations and experiences

It's best to explain with an example.

I have always loved observing the objects of the world around me. So, it is very interesting to watch how ants behave depending on the weather and time of day.

But what I love even more is conducting experiments.

Once in my childhood I had an amazing experience. From the children's encyclopedia, I learned that the abdomen of ants is transparent. This assumption became my hypothesis, which needed to be confirmed or refuted. I prepared sweet syrups different colors and placed small droplets near the anthill. It's funny, but when the ants drank, their tummies turned the color of a drop of syrup. This confirmed my hypothesis.

Have you guessed how my simple observations of the life of an anthill differed from the experiment I conducted?

• In the first case, I simply watched (observed) the behavior of insects. While conducting the experiment, I myself needed to interact with the subjects by placing colored drops near the anthill.
• While conducting the experiment, I had a hypothesis (from the children's encyclopedia) and an action plan.
• The observations did not require any equipment (although this is not always true, e.g. space objects, you will need a telescope). For the experiment, I needed sugar, water, dyes and other means for making syrup.

Cat watching

Watch your pet. You will be able to notice a lot interesting features. For example, that cats are capable of making many sounds that are different from each other.

Experience "Lava"

This interesting experience you can test the hypothesis that oil is lighter than water, but salt is heavier than oil.

1. Take a glass. Fill it with water and vegetable oil(2:1). The oil will remain floating on top.
2. Add food coloring.
3. Add a spoonful of salt.

Enjoy the “lava” in a glass.

Human curiosity is the main reason for the rapid development of civilization. Since ancient times, knowledge has been carried out using two main methods: observation and experiment. Despite the apparent identity, these concepts are significantly different from each other.

Definition

Experiment- this is the method scientific knowledge, in which objects are immersed in an artificially created environment, and their behavior is controlled by the experimenter. Main goal such an action is testing a hypothesis, searching for new facts that can answer questions important to science.

Observation is a method of cognition in which the observer studies the properties of the object under study and records them. Intervention in the natural environment is minimal, and any person can carry out these activities, even in the absence of equipment and machinery, as well as special knowledge.

Comparison

So, the most important difference lies in the way of interaction with the subject being studied. If the observer stands aside and studies objective data, then the experimenter actively intervenes in the course of events and directs them. Observation can be spontaneous, but experiment can only be purposeful.

The experimenter is busy confirming the hypothesis that he formulated earlier. The observer simply receives new data by collecting previously unknown information. The experiment is carried out in special conditions and in a closed (limited) environment, usually artificially created, observation - in natural conditions. Another important point– availability special equipment. For an experiment it is necessary, while observation can do without it.

Conclusions website

1. Interaction with an object. The observer distances himself from the natural environment, and the experimenter actively intervenes in it.
2. Conditions. Observation is carried out in natural conditions, and experiment is carried out in artificially created ones.
3. Special equipment. To conduct an experiment, a base is needed; observation can be carried out without equipment and tools.
4. Target. Observation is intended to record reality and obtain new data, experiment is to confirm a hypothesis formulated speculatively.

Scientific progress cannot be stopped, and methods of study environment always improved and became more complex. Observations and experiments have been known for centuries; they are not only compared, but also identified. At the same time, there is a colossal difference between these concepts, which reflects the dynamics of the development of scientific thought.

Observations- these are studies in which the scientist maintains visual control of an object, allowing events to develop naturally and noting any changes. The result of the work is recorded on a storage medium for subsequent analysis. Observations can be carried out without equipment, as well as with the use of special means.

Experiments– these are studies in which objects are placed in an artificially created or natural environment, and the scientist enters into active interaction with the subject being studied. In the process of experiments, a hypothesis built on the basis of available theoretical data is confirmed or refuted.

Thus, observations do not involve active interaction with the object. The researcher distances himself from them, recording the data obtained. This is the main goal - collecting information, which will then be analyzed. During the experiment, the scientist enters into active interaction with the object. Target of this action– test the hypothesis by confirming it an unlimited number of times.

Experience always has a plan; observation does not. To conduct an experiment, the researcher needs to recreate certain conditions. The observation is carried out in a natural environment, because intervention in the life of the objects being studied will mean the beginning of the experiment. Both the first and second research methods are extremely useful for science; they do not contradict, but complement each other.

1. Influence on the object. Observations do not involve active interaction with the object being studied, while experiments are based on such intervention.
2. Use of special equipment. Research can be carried out naked eye, experiments always require instruments and other scientific and technical means.
3. Having a plan. Observation is carried out in the same way, experience is carried out according to a pre-developed scenario.
4. Wednesday. Observation takes place in a natural environment, experience - in an artificial one.
5. Target. Observations are carried out to collect information for subsequent analysis, experiments are carried out to confirm the hypothesis.