Naturalistic Observation

Instructions:

As you start to observe these individuals in their natural setting, focus on their behavior. You may want to bring a notepad and take notes of the behavior while being very objective. This is naturalistic observation, so dont try to interpret the behavior, only write down what you see.

Step 1: Review.

Review the assigned readings and additional material included in this module’s content.

Step 2: Observe.

Select a space where people congregate (farmers market, mall, playground, fair/carnival, etc.) and observe them for 30-45 minutes.

Once you have completed the observation, attempt to form a theory regarding human behavior you observed. Write about it in detail, answering the following questions.

1. State the location, time, date of the observation
2. What behavior did you select to focus on?
3. Can you say anything about people in general based on what you saw?
4. Did you see similarities in peoples behaviors?
5. Did you notice any differences in behavior (age, gender, race, etc.)?
6. Did you notice any potential research questions or hypotheses that may be of interest for future study?
7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this type of research method?