What is Naturalistic Observation?
Definition
a research method in which people or other subjects are observed in their natural setting.
Use: study specific social or cultural settings
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Applications
observing subjects of interest in their normal, everyday setting
social or organizational setting
generate new ideas
immerse themselves in the setting
Scope of the Observation
collect quantitative data by counting the number of times a specific behavior occurs
require the researcher to describe, analyze, and interpret what was observed
Sampling Methods
Time sampling
Event sampling
Situation sampling
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Pros&Cons
Advantages
greater external validity
unique insights.
study things that would be impossible or unethical to reproduce in a lab
Disadvantages
control for different
Lack of control over external variables
limited number of settings.