Naturalistic Observation

Description:

For this assignment, you will get the opportunity to engage in naturalistic observation.

Objectives:

• Review descriptive research and its four key methods.
• Compare and contrast the fundamental goals of basic and applied research.
• Discuss the ethical concerns and guidelines for psychological research.

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 don’t 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 people’s 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?

Step 4. Submit Your Assignment

Your response should be in a Word document, two to four pages long, written in APA format (12-point font, double spaced).

Assignment Submission:

When you have completed the assignment, select the “Submit Assignment” button at the top of these instructions, and choose a format for submitting your assignment.