Published on February 10, 2022 by Pritha Bhandari. Revised on September 14, 2022. Naturalistic observation is a qualitative research method where you record the
behaviors of your research subjects in real world settings. You avoid interfering with or influencing any variables in a naturalistic observation. You can think of naturalistic observation as “people watching” with a purpose. In naturalistic observations, you study your research subjects in their own environments to explore their behaviors without any outside influence or control. It’s a research method used in field studies. Traditionally, naturalistic observation studies have been used by animal researchers, psychologists, ethnographers, and anthropologists. Naturalistic observations
are helpful as a hypothesis-generating approach, because you gather rich information that can inspire further research. Based on his naturalistic observations, he believed that these birds imprinted on the first potential parent in their surroundings, and they quickly learned to follow them and their actions. He later devised experiments to
test the hypothesis and found clear support for his theory. Naturalistic observation is especially valuable for studying behaviors and actions that may not be replicable in controlled lab settings. Naturalistic observations can be: There are four main ways of using naturalistic
observations. You also immerse yourself in the activity you’re researching yourself. You observe participants from a distance without being involved. You don’t reveal that you’re a researcher, and you take notes on behavioral data in secret. Participants are unaware they’re being observed because the cameras are placed discreetly. You also participate in the activity you’re researching yourself. You observe participants from a distance without being involved. You participate in the organization while studying their organizational practices with everyone’s knowledge. It’s clear to your participants that you’re observing them. Importantly, all of these take place in naturalistic settings rather than experimental laboratory settings. While you may actively participate in some types of observations, you refrain from influencing others or interfering with the activities you are observing too much. Scribbr editors not only correct grammar and spelling mistakes, but also strengthen your writing by making sure your paper
is free of vague language, redundant words and awkward phrasing. See editing example How to collect dataYou can use a variety of data collection methods for naturalistic observations. Audiovisual recordingsNowadays, it’s common to collect observations through audio and video recordings so you can revisit them at a later stage or share them with other trained observers. It’s best to place these recording devices discreetly so your participants aren’t distracted by them. However, make sure you receive informed consent in a written format from each participant prior to recording them. Example: Audiovisual recordingsYou place video cameras in a school playground to study the frequency and type of interactions children have with their peers over time. You make sure these cameras are placed out of sight so that your research subjects don’t pay attention to them.Note-takingYou can take notes while conducting naturalistic observations. Note down anything that seems relevant or important to you based on your research topic and interests in an unstructured way. Example: Note-takingYou observe social interactions and alcohol use in a college bar and take notes. You record your perceptions of research subjects’ beer consumption levels, their speech volume and frequency, their general demeanors, and anything else that sticks out.Tally countsIf you’re studying specific behaviors or events, it’s often helpful to make frequency counts of the number of times these occur during a certain time period. You can use a tally count to easily note down each instance that you observe in the moment. Example: Tally countsYou focus on observing four college students in particular at a college bar. You study their alcohol use behaviors and record the number of drinks they consume during one visit.Data samplingThere’s a lot of information you can collect when you conduct research in natural, uncontrolled environments. To simplify your data collection, you’ll often use data sampling. Data sampling allows you to narrow down the focus of your data recording to specific times or events. Time samplingYou record observations only at specific times. These time intervals can be randomly selected (e.g., at 8:03, 10:34, 12:51) or systematic (e.g., every 2 hours). You record whether your behaviors of interest occur during these time periods. Example: Time samplingYou observe the social behaviors of children in a classroom. You systematically observe and record all social behaviors for 5 minutes every 2 hours over a few days.Event samplingYou record observations only when specific events occur. You may use a tally count to note the frequency of the event or take notes each time you see the event occurring. Example: Event samplingYou focus on cooperative behaviors between eight-year-olds in a classroom. During group activities, you observe and take notes every time you come across helping social behaviors between children.Advantages of naturalistic observationNaturalistic observation is a valuable tool because of its flexibility, external validity, and suitability for research topics that can’t be studied in a lab.
Because naturalistic observation is a non-experimental method, you’re not bound to strict procedures. You can avoid using rigid protocols and also change your methods midway if you need to.
Naturalistic observations are particularly high in ecological validity, because you use real life environments instead of lab settings. People don’t always act in the same ways in and outside the lab. Your participants behave in more authentic ways when they are unaware they’re being observed.
Naturalistic observations help you study topics that you can’t in the lab for ethical reasons. You can also use technology to record conversations, behaviors, or other noise, provided you have consent or it’s otherwise ethically permissible. Disadvantages of naturalistic observationThe downsides of naturalistic observation include its lack of scientific control, ethical considerations, and potential for bias from observers and subjects.
Since you perform research in natural environments, you can’t control the setting or any variables. Without this control, you won’t be able to draw conclusions about causal relationships. You also may not be able to replicate your findings in other contexts, with other people, or at other times.
Most people don’t want to be observed as they’re going about their day without their explicit consent or awareness. It’s important to always respect privacy and try to be unobtrusive. It’s also best to use naturalistic observations only in public situations where people expect they won’t be alone. Note: Don’t record people without receiving written informed consent prior to the observations.
Because you indirectly collect data, there’s always a risk of observer bias in naturalistic observations. Your perceptions and interpretations of behavior may be influenced by your own experiences and inaccurately represent the truth. This type of bias is particularly likely to occur in participant observation methods.
When you observe subjects in their natural environment, they may sometimes be aware they’re being observed. As a result, they may change their behaviors to act in more socially desirable ways to confirm your expectations. Frequently asked questions about naturalistic observationHow can I minimize observer bias in my research? You can use several tactics to minimize observer bias.
Social desirability bias is the tendency for interview participants to give responses that will be viewed favorably by the interviewer or other participants. It occurs in all types of interviews and surveys, but is most common in semi-structured interviews, unstructured interviews, and focus groups. Social desirability bias can be mitigated by ensuring participants feel at ease and comfortable sharing their views. Make sure to pay attention to your own body language and any physical or verbal cues, such as nodding or widening your eyes. This type of bias can also occur in observations if the participants know they’re being observed. They might alter their behavior accordingly. Cite this Scribbr articleIf you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
Is this article helpful?You have already voted. Thanks :-) Your vote is saved :-) Processing your vote... Is natural setting qualitative or quantitative research?Qualitative research is a process of naturalistic inquiry that seeks an in-depth understanding of social phenomena within their natural setting.
Why is qualitative research called naturalistic?"Qualitative research is multimethod in focus, involving an interpretive, naturalistic approach to its subject matter. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them.
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