Naturalistic Observation in Psychology

Questions and Answers

What is Naturalistic Observation?

Learning about behavior in a real-life setting. (correct)

Learning about behavior in a controlled setting.

Conducting interviews.

Observing a lab experiment.

What does Observation Without Intervention mean?

A situation not controlled or created by the researcher.

What is an advantage of Naturalistic Observation related to ecological validity?

The extent to which findings can be generalized to real-life situations.

What does External Validity refer to?

The extent to which findings can be generalized to other situations or other people. Signup and view all the answers

What is The Hawthorne Effect?

The alteration of behavior by the subjects of a study due to their awareness of being observed. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Good Subject Role?

The participant's tendency to respond in a way that corroborates the investigator's hypothesis. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Faithful Subject Role entail?

The participant follows the instructions given by the experimenter to the letter. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Negativistic Subject Role?

The participant attempts to discern the hypothesis in order to destroy the credibility of the study. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the Apprehensive Subject Role?

The participant is concerned about how the responses might be evaluated and responds in a socially desirable way. Signup and view all the answers

What does Avoiding Reactivity refer to?

Making observations without participants knowing. Signup and view all the answers

What is Deception in the context of studies?

Directing the subject's expectations away from the true purpose of the study. Signup and view all the answers

What methods are used in Data Collection?

Narrative record, videotape/audio recordings, and quantitative measures of behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is Observation With Intervention 1?

To cause an event that occurs infrequently or that occurs under conditions that make it difficult to observe. Signup and view all the answers

What is Observation With Intervention 2?

To investigate the limits of a response by varying the stimulus conditions. Signup and view all the answers

What does Observation With Intervention 3 involve?

To arrange the situations so that conditions can be controlled and consequent behaviors can be easily observed. Signup and view all the answers

What is Time Sampling?

Observing at different intervals of time. Signup and view all the answers

What is Event Sampling?

Observing every time a given event occurs. Signup and view all the answers

What does Situation Sampling involve?

The study of behavior in many different locations and under different circumstances and conditions. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Naturalistic Observation in Psychology

Naturalistic observation involves studying behavior in real-life environments, with or without researcher intervention.
It provides authentic insights into how individuals behave in their everyday settings.

Observation Categories

Observation Without Intervention: Research situations where the environment is not manipulated by the researcher, ensuring natural behavior.
Observation With Intervention: Researchers actively manipulate variables to study effects on behavior, useful for rare events or controlled conditions.

Advantages of Naturalistic Observation

Ecological Validity: Findings are applicable to real-life situations, increasing relevance and applicability.
External Validity: Results can be generalized to broader populations or different contexts beyond the study’s specific conditions.

Behavioral Effects

Hawthorne Effect: Participants may change their behavior because they know they are being observed, potentially skewing results.
Good Subject Role: Participants may consciously align their responses with the study hypothesis, impacting authenticity.
Faithful Subject Role: Participants adhere strictly to instructions, promoting accurate data collection.
Negativistic Subject Role: Some participants may attempt to sabotage the study's credibility by guessing its hypotheses.
Apprehensive Subject Role: Concern over evaluation leads participants to respond in socially desirable ways instead of truthfully.

Research Techniques

Avoiding Reactivity: Strategies include unobtrusive observation and deception to minimize the influence of awareness on behavior.
Deception: Misleading subjects about the study's purpose or their role to reduce bias; often involves double-blind procedures to enhance objectivity.

Data Collection Methods

Employ various methods such as narrative records, audio/video recordings, and quantitative measures to capture behaviors comprehensively.

Sampling Techniques

Time Sampling: Focuses observation on specific intervals to assess behavior over time.
Event Sampling: Observes each instance an event occurs, ensuring comprehensive data capture for infrequent behaviors.
Situation Sampling: Examines behavior across a variety of locations and circumstances to understand context-specific variations.

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Description

This quiz covers the concept of naturalistic observation in psychology, focusing on its methods, advantages, and behavioral effects. Learn how this observation technique provides insights into natural behaviors and the implications for ecological and external validity.