Participant observation as a research method is frequently criticized as unsystematic and low in reliability. T Groups are criticized for their lack of applicability and effectiveness outside the laboratory. Parallels between the two suggest that the latter can provide skills that increase the validity of the former, and that the former can increase the usefulness of the latter. This paper focuses on the relatively neglected dimensions of the researcher's experience of himself and the subject's experience of the researcher. Because the research relationship is a social relationship, it is crucial to take these two factors into account. T Groups provide a program for doing so.
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