PSYC 3650 SECTION 001 - EXPERIMENTAL METHODS
(EXAM 3 REVIEW)
What is naturalistic observation? - Answers - It's observation of behavior in a setting
where that behavior is expected to naturally occur. The environment is not changed
when doing observation.
What types of validity are associated with Naturalistic Observation? - Answers - Has
high levels of external validity which is its ability to generalize and its high because it is
done in the wild and a low internal validity which means its ability to replicate in the
lab/control.
What are the two Naturalistic Research Settings ? - Answers - Natural Setting and
Contrived Setting
What is Natural Setting? - Answers - The location or sites where behavior normally
occurs
What are some downsides with making observations in a natural setting? - Answers -
Can be time consuming, expensive, and difficult
What is Contrived Setting? - Answers - Any observation sites that have been arranged
in such a way to mimic a natural setting in which the behavior occurs but affords the
researcher a level of control that is impossible in a natural setting.
Why would we conduct a naturalistic observation? - Answers - We want to have an
Unobtrusive observation because we want to have a pure observation where people
don't change their behavior because they are being observed
What is unobtrusive observation? - Answers - Any time a behavior is observed in a way
that it does not interfere with the behavior
What are some strategies you can use to make Unobtrusive observations? - Answers -
You can remain hidden, You can integrate yourself into the culture or the lives of the
people you are trying to observe where they act normally around you, Using a
confederate which is using someone who is in on the research to facilitate what you are
looking for, using recording devices with people knowing or not
What are behavior categories? - Answers - Specific types of behavior's that we, the
researchers want to measure in the research setting and are typically organized as a list
of examples that count in each category or for each type of behavior. (operationalizing
observations aka formalizing the way you measure something)
(EXAM 3 REVIEW)
What is naturalistic observation? - Answers - It's observation of behavior in a setting
where that behavior is expected to naturally occur. The environment is not changed
when doing observation.
What types of validity are associated with Naturalistic Observation? - Answers - Has
high levels of external validity which is its ability to generalize and its high because it is
done in the wild and a low internal validity which means its ability to replicate in the
lab/control.
What are the two Naturalistic Research Settings ? - Answers - Natural Setting and
Contrived Setting
What is Natural Setting? - Answers - The location or sites where behavior normally
occurs
What are some downsides with making observations in a natural setting? - Answers -
Can be time consuming, expensive, and difficult
What is Contrived Setting? - Answers - Any observation sites that have been arranged
in such a way to mimic a natural setting in which the behavior occurs but affords the
researcher a level of control that is impossible in a natural setting.
Why would we conduct a naturalistic observation? - Answers - We want to have an
Unobtrusive observation because we want to have a pure observation where people
don't change their behavior because they are being observed
What is unobtrusive observation? - Answers - Any time a behavior is observed in a way
that it does not interfere with the behavior
What are some strategies you can use to make Unobtrusive observations? - Answers -
You can remain hidden, You can integrate yourself into the culture or the lives of the
people you are trying to observe where they act normally around you, Using a
confederate which is using someone who is in on the research to facilitate what you are
looking for, using recording devices with people knowing or not
What are behavior categories? - Answers - Specific types of behavior's that we, the
researchers want to measure in the research setting and are typically organized as a list
of examples that count in each category or for each type of behavior. (operationalizing
observations aka formalizing the way you measure something)
