CHAPTER EIGHT

1
CHAPTER EIGHT

• UNOBTRUSIVE MEASURES,
• SECONDARY ANALYSIS,
• AND THE USES OF
• OFFICIAL STATISTICS

2
Unobtrusive Measures

• Secretive or nonreactive means of gathering data.
• Subjects are unaware they are being studied,
  i.e., surveillance.
• This strategy tends to not elicit artificial
  behavior or stooge effects.

3
Types of Unobtrusive Measures

• Physical trace analysis
• Archival, existing or available data, and
  autobiographies
• Simple observation
• Disguised observation
• Simulation

4
Physical Trace Analysis

• Reconstruction of previous human interaction
  after the fact.
• Similar to a detective looking for clues or
  circumstantial evidence.
• Examples Vandalism rates and graffiti as
  indicators of social environmental atmospheres
  and subcultures.

5
Available Data and Archives

• Secondary Analysis reanalysis of data gathered
  for other purposes. Includes both primary data
  resources, i.e., UCR, and secondary data sources,
  i.e., a research study that previously used UCR
  data. Examples Sutherlands White Collar Crime
  and Clinard and Yeagers Illegal Corporate
  Behavior and Corporate Crime.
• Personal Documents and Biographies letters,
  diary method (individuals maintain a record of
  activities for a specified period of time), and
  memoirs, i.e., The Valachi Papers, or, Monster
  The Autobiography of an I.A. Gang Member.

6
Available Data and ArchivesContd

• Measuring hidden populations i.e., arrest rates
  re estimating juvenile recidivism or, the IRS -
  estimating unreported income
• Historical and archival data a method used to
  chronicle past events, however, caution must be
  given to the original methodology and rationale
  under which the original data was collected.

7
Available Data and ArchivesContd

• Content Analysis systematic analysis and
  selective classification of the contents of mass
  communication. Its usefulness is measured by its
  replicability. Computer software exists to
  organize word search capabilities for scanned
  documents and text files which supports the
  analysis of qualitative data.
• Meta-analysis summarizing results across
  multiple studies. Emphasis is on quantification,
  i.e., analysis of hot spots in criminal justice
  (map and identify hot spots provides the
  ability to measure concentration of criminal
  events over time). Also, a meta-analysis by
  Gottfredson and Hirschis using the general
  theory of crime found support for their
  proposition that low self-control increases
  involvement in crime. Meta-analysis is not used
  often in criminal justice research.

8
Sources of Existing DataExamples Include

• Uniform Crime Reports (UCR).
• National Crime Victimization Studies (NCVS).
• National Criminal Justice Reference Service
  (NCJRS) (BJS).
• Offender-Based Transaction Statistics (OBTS)
  (BJS).
• National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD)
  (BJS).
• International Consortium for Political and Social
  Research (ICPSR) (BJS).

9
Discussion

• Discuss how the Blocks in Exhibit 8.2
• utilized existing data in order to investigate
• gangs in Chicago.
• In other words,
• Explain the methodology.

10
Observation

• A strategy in which the analyst minimizes
  interaction with the subjects to carefully record
  and examine their behavior. This may take the
  form of laboratory observations or more
  naturalistic field observations.
• Ethical considerations, i.e., Chicago jury
  study.
• Example Stewarts (1979) Defendants
  Attractiveness as a Factor Outcome of Criminal
  Trials.

11
Disguised Observation

• A strategy in which the researcher covertly
  enters the research scene without the knowledge
  or permission of the subjects or group, i.e.,
  Candid Camera. Researchers often pose as a
  member of the group, i.e., a watch queen
  (Humphreys, 1970) a mental patient (Caudill et
  al., 1952) and thieves and victims (Stewart and
  Cannon, 1977).
• Use of confederates or accomplices who facilitate
  the desired activity to be observed.
• This strategy can be enhanced by videotaping,
  photography and other mechanical aids for data
  gathering.

12
Simulation

• A strategy in which attempts are made to imitate
  more complex realities by means of games or
  controlled experiments or computer models. A
  situation or game that attempts to mimic, or
  imitate, key features of reality.
• Examples include Zimabardos Simulated Prison
  Study, and Milgrams Obedience to Authority
  experiments. Also, virtual reality computer
  simulations may be used in courtrooms.
• Both disguised observations and simulation
  strategies include debriefing sessions in which
  the true purpose of the deception are explained
  to the subjects and any anxiety introduced is
  hopefully curtailed.

13
Advantages of Unobtrusive Measures

• Nonreactivity, i.e., more natural
• Avoids overreliance on verbal descriptions by
  respondents
• Mechanical aids, i.e., videotapes - recording
  hardware increases accuracy
• Inconspicuous and grants anonymity
• Archival data allows the study of a phenomena
  over time quickly and inexpensively
• Behavior can be observed first hand which can be
  superior to survey claims

14
Disadvantages of Unobtrusive Measures

• Ethical issues - privacy invasion
• Researchers have no right to confidentiality or
  privileged communication
• Subjects may be atypical and therefore not
  generalizable
• Time consuming
• Observer bias
• Official data is collected for agency purposes
  and therefore may not have the degree of accuracy
  or operationalization the researcher desires.