Which research method involves watching and recording the actions of participants?
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Observation is one method for collecting research data. It involves watching a participant and recording relevant behavior for later analysis. One example of a study using the observational method would be when a researcher wants to study how children manage sharing of toys. He could observe a group of children playing in the classroom, and record what things they say or do that determine who gets to play with a coveted toy. The observation method has the advantage
of providing direct evidence of the phenomenon that is being studied. In the example above, the researcher gets data on how the children actually manage to share or not share. This is more objective than other ways of collecting data like for example, interviewing the children or their teacher. Naturalistic observation is a research method that involves observing subjects in their natural environment. This approach is often used by psychologists and other social scientists. It is a form of qualitative research, which focuses on collecting, evaluating, and describing non-numerical data. It can be useful if conducting lab research would be unrealistic, cost-prohibitive, or would unduly affect the subject's behavior. The goal of naturalistic observation is to observe behavior as it occurs in a natural setting without interference or attempts to manipulate variables. This article discusses how naturalistic observation works and the pros and cons of doing this type of research. It also covers how data is collected and examples of when this method might be used. How Does Naturalistic Observation Work?People do not necessarily behave in a lab setting the way they would in a natural environment. Researchers sometimes want to observe their subject's behavior as it happens ("in the wild," so to speak). Psychologists can get a better idea of how and why people react the way that they do by watching how they respond to situations and stimuli in real life. Naturalistic observation is different than structured observation because it involves looking at a subject's behavior as it occurs in a natural setting, with no attempts at intervention on the part of the researcher. For example, a researcher interested in aspects of classroom behavior (such as the interactions between students or teacher-student dynamics) might use naturalistic observation as part of their research. Performing these observations in a lab would be difficult because it would involve recreating a classroom environment. This would likely influence the behavior of the participants, making it difficult to generalize the observations made. By observing the subjects in their natural setting (the classroom where they work and learn), the researchers can more fully observe the behavior they are interested in as it occurs in the real world. Naturalistic Observation Pros and ConsLike other research methods, naturalistic observation has advantages and disadvantages. Pros
Cons
ProsAn advantage of naturalistic observation is that it allows the investigators to directly observe the subject in a natural setting. The method gives scientists a first-hand look at social behavior and can help them notice things that they might never have encountered in a lab setting. The observations can also serve as inspiration for further investigations. The information gleaned from naturalistic observation can lead to insights that can be used to help people overcome problems and lead to healthier, happier lives. Other advantages of naturalistic observation include:
ConsNaturalistic observation can be useful in many cases, but the method also has some downsides. Some of these include:
It is also important to note that naturalistic observation is a type of correlational research (others include surveys and archival research). A correlational study is a non-experimental approach that seeks to find statistical relationships between variables. Naturalistic observation is one method that can be used to collect data for correlational studies. While such methods can look at the direction or strength of a relationship between two variables, they cannot determine if one causes the other. As the saying goes, correlation does not imply causation. Data Collection MethodsResearchers use different techniques to collect and record data from naturalistic observation. For example, they might write down how many times a certain behavior occurred in a specific period of time or take a video recording of subjects.
How Often Is Data Collected?It is rarely practical—or even possible—to observe every moment of a subject's life. Therefore, researchers often use sampling to gather information through naturalistic observation. The goal is to make sure that the sample of data is representative of the subject's overall behavior. A representative sample is a selection that accurately depicts the characteristics that are present in the total subject of interest. A representative sample can be obtained through:
Examples of Naturalistic ObservationImagine that you want to study risk-taking behavior in teenagers. You might choose to observe behavior in different settings, such as a sledding hill, a rock-climbing wall, an ice-skating rink, and a bumper car ride. After you operationally define "risk-taking behavior," you would observe your teen subjects in these settings and record every incidence of what you have defined as risky behavior. Famous examples of naturalistic observations include Charles Darwin's journey aboard the HMS Beagle, which served as the basis for his theory of natural selection, and Jane Goodall's work studying the behavior of chimpanzees. A Word From VerywellNaturalistic observation can play an important role in the research process. It offers a number of advantages, including often being more affordable and less intrusive than other types of research. In some cases, researchers may utilize naturalistic observation as a way to learn more about something that is happening in a certain population. Using this information, they can then formulate a hypothesis that can be tested further. Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Additional Reading
By Kendra Cherry
Thanks for your feedback! What is a method of viewing and recording participants?Participant Observation Method. Fundamental participant observation methods are observing and participating, and researchers using this method are called participant observers. Observation commonly entails watching, listening, and taking detailed notes shortly after observing activities.
Which research method involves watching behaviors?Naturalistic observation is an observational method that involves observing people's behavior in the environment in which it typically occurs. Thus naturalistic observation is a type of field research (as opposed to a type of laboratory research).
Which research method involves watching behaviors as they occur without interfering or altering the behaviors in anyway?Naturalistic observation is a qualitative research method where you record the behaviors of your research subjects in real world settings. You avoid interfering or influencing anything in a naturalistic observation. You can think of naturalistic observation as “people watching” with a purpose.
What type of research method is observation?What is Observational Research? Observation research is a qualitative research technique where researchers observe participants' ongoing behavior in a natural situation. Depending on the type of observation research and the goal of the study, the market researcher will have varying levels of participation in the study.
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