Meaning & use
self-observed
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Meaning
adjectivebefore a nounformal
noticed or recorded by the person themselves, rather than by someone else.
Grammar: Used mainly before a noun: self-observed behavior. It is not usually used after a verb.
Patterns
- self-observed behavior
- self-observed changes
The study relied on self-observed changes in mood.
Her self-observed habits were different from what her family reported.
These are self-observed symptoms, so they may not be completely accurate.
Common combinations
- self-observed behavior
- Researchers compared self-observed behavior with data from cameras.
- self-observed changes
- Patients described self-observed changes in their sleep.
- self-observed data
- Self-observed data can be less reliable than measurements.
Synonyms and how they differ
- self-reported
- Much more common in research; it means the information comes from the person themselves, often in a survey.
- subjective
- Focuses on personal feeling rather than outside facts; self-observed simply says who did the noticing.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: self-observed or self-absorbed?
self-observed vs self-absorbed
Self-absorbed means thinking only about yourself; self-observed means noticed by yourself.
Practice
In which sentence is 'self-observed' used correctly?
Choose one answer.
Self-observed is an adjective meaning noticed by the person themselves, so it fits before 'symptoms'. It cannot be a verb like 'observe', so the other options are wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “self-observed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.