PSYB01H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Naturalistic Observation, Mass Communication, Stopwatch
Document Summary
Observational methods can be classified as primarily quantitative or qualitative. Qualitative research- focuses on people behaving in natural settings and describing their world in their own words: few individuals & smaller samples. Quantitative research- focuses on behaviours that can be easily quantified: larger samples. In a naturalistic observation study- the researchers make observations of individuals in their natural environments (the field: roots in anthro and study of animal behaviour. Ex. employees in a business org, members of a sports team, patrons of a bar, students and teachers in a school, or prairie dogs in a colony in arizona. Observations are made in natural settings and the researchers didn"t attempt to influence what occurred in the settings. Goal of naturalistic observation is to provide a complete/accurate picture of what happened in the setting, rather than to test hypotheses formed before the study. Achieve this goal by keeping detailed field notes.
