What is Naturalistic Observation? Research Methodology | Samplings | NTA NET | Sociology | UPSC

Naturalistic observation involves observing subjects of interest in their normal, everyday setting. It is sometimes referred to as field work because it requires researchers to go out into the field (the natural setting) to collect data on their participants. Naturalistic observation traces its roots back to anthropology and animal behavior research. For example, cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead used naturalistic observation to study the daily lives of different groups in the South Pacific.


The approach doesn't always require researchers to observe people in such exotic environments, however. It can be conducted in any kind of social or organizational setting, including offices, schools, bars, prisons, dorm rooms, online message boards, or just about any other place where people can be observed. For example, psychologist Sylvia Scribner used naturalistic observation to investigate how people make decisions in various professions. To do so, she accompanied people—from milk men, to cashiers, to machine operators—as they went about their regular work routines.

Naturalistic observation is valuable when a researcher wants to learn more about people in a specific social or cultural setting but can’t gather the information any other way. Sometimes studying people in a lab can impact their behavior, be cost prohibitive, or both. For example, if a researcher wishes to study the behavior of shoppers in the weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday, it would be impractical to construct a store in the lab. Plus, even if the researcher did so, it would be unlikely to elicit the same response from participants as shopping at a store in the real world. Naturalistic observation offers the opportunity to observe shoppers’ behavior, and based on researchers' observations of the situation, has the potential to generate new ideas for specific hypotheses or avenues of research.


The method requires researchers to immerse themselves in the setting being studied. This typically involves taking copious field notes. Researchers may also interview specific people involved in the situation, collect documents from the setting, and make audio or video recordings. In her research on decision-making in different occupations, for instance, Scribner not only took detailed notes, she also gathered every scrap of written material her participants read and produced, and photographed the equipment they used.

#shorts #short #upsc #gk #ias #ssc #cgl #sociology 3optional #ugc #ugcnet #nta #ntanet