ABSTRACT
When behaviors of individuals are of interest, a useful method of data collection is observational analysis. Although questions posed to individuals can provide information about their behavior, observation is a more direct approach. A participant observer is a researcher who is completely immersed in the regular activities of the group under study, and is known as a member of the group rather than as a researcher. An advantage of concealing identity as a researcher is that the participant observer interacts with others in a normal fashion, and is able to obtain information about the group that might otherwise not be revealed. The participant observer might be a member of the group to be observed prior to developing a study. Sometimes the researcher joins the group in order to conduct a study. Economic arrangements for long-term care, a patient moves along a path: the more time in long term care, the poorer one becomes.
