The participant-observer approach to research in mental retardation

Participant-observation, which calls for long-term immersion in the world of the persons being studied yet disciplined detachment from that world, has long been utilized in various social sciences. This method of data collection was seldom used in the study of mentally retarded people until recent years; however, it has now been employed in the study of many aspects of the lives of these people and their families. Although this method of research is expensive and time consuming, it has the advantage of allowing investigators to learn how people actually behave in a variety of contexts and to grasp the meaning these activities have for them.