Abstract
Infant Observation was initially conceived and designed as an element of training courses for psychoanalytic clinicians. A number of applications of the method have emerged since then, including interventions using participant observation, the observation of people in different age groups, notably older people, and research. The number of research projects using observation on the Tavistock/Bick model as a research tool is increasing. This development has raised many questions about methodology and about the training of researchers which have been addressed in several Viennese research projects. From this background, some tasks and characteristics of training are described which are related to the observers' role as researchers and three phases of the research process. Readers' attention is also directed to the emotional dynamics seminar leaders have to consider and the containment they have to provide when the observation process is linked with a research aim. The paper also considers aspects of methodology when using naturalistic observation as a research tool, in terms of modifications of the original Tavistock/Bick model and to its inclusion within the broad scope of qualitative research methods.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful for the stimulating contributions from the 6th International Conference for Teachers of Infant Observation and the workshops which took place there. The authors also want to thank Ross A. Lazar for his ongoing work with our Viennese research group and Trudy Klauber for her editorial support.
Notes
1. The first number after the date indicates the number of the observation from which the quotation is derived. The number after the slash refers to the lines of the report from which the passage has been extracted. For the single case study which derived from the observation of Mrs. K., see Pfarr (Citation2012).
2. Datler, Datler, and Funder (Citation2010), Datler, Ereky-Stevens, Hover-Reisner, and Malmberg (Citation2012), Datler, Funder, Hover-Reisner, Fürstaller, and Ereky-Stevens (Citation2012) and Datler, Hover-Reisner, Fürstaller, and Datler (Citation2014).
5. Datler, Hover-Reisner, Steinhardt, and Trunkenpolz (Citation2008) and Datler, Trunkenpolz, and Ereky-Stevens (Citation2010).
8. See, for example, papers in the Special Issue of this journal (2006, 9:2) ‘The use of video in infant observation’, where the impact of video-based research on the investigation of research questions is demonstrated (Briggs, Citation2006). In our own research project, ‘Toddlers’ ‘Adjustment to Out-of-Home Day Care’, we used Young Child Observation as well as rating videotapes (Datler et al., Citation2012). In one of our articles we compared research results based on both methodological efforts with reference to the analysis of the transitional process of Paulina, a young girl at the age of two years and eight months (Datler et al., Citation2014).
9. Lorenzer (Citation1973, p. 216) uses the German term ‘Teilhabe’ instead of ‘Teilnahme’. An English introduction into Alfred Lorenzer's writings has been published by Schaffrik (Citation2002).
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