In class we discussed the research method of naturalistic observation and its benefits and advantages. Naturalistic observation involves studying the behavior of people or animals in their natural setting/environment and the concept of how they will change their behaviors in different settings. The main goal of naturalistic observation is to study and observe the peoples or animals behaviors in their natural setting with no intervention. This type of research is often used when laboratory research is unrealistic, cost prohibitive or if it would knowingly affect the subjects behavior. This research is often used because it is fairly easy to conduct and its cost-effectiveness. Naturalistic observation offers advantages such as allowing researchers to study things that cannot be manipulated in a lab due to ethical concerns, and it helps support the external validity of research since the researchers is actually observing the behavior. Some of the disadvantages of using this type of research method are that people will often act differently if they know they’re being watch or studied and that different observers may draw different conclusions from what they observed.
One form of naturalistic observation that I have experience in life was the relationships and behaviors of the managers and employees of the grocery store I used to work for. In almost every job someone has a manager that overlooks the employees and makes sure they are doing their job correctly and not breaking rules. The managers usually will sit and observe the behaviors of employees on the registers from a back room where the employees’ can’t see if they are being watched and then evaluate the employee’s work ethic and behavior. This is shows a good example of naturalistic observation because the managers observe their employee’s behaviors in their natural setting.
Often when I used to work at the grocery store, other cashiers and I would occasionally talk and goof around at the cash registers when the managers and customers were not present although we are supposed to clean registers and always stay busy while working. In contrast, there were other times when we were aware that the managers were watching us, at that time we had tendencies to change our behaviors so we would not get written up. This is a good example of naturalistic observation because it involves managers observing their employees behavior in their natural work setting.
In the summer I work in management at a townhouse complex; cutting grass, weed whacking, fixing things, etc. While it is a serious job, I get to work with a friend and my bosses are goofballs, so we have a lot of fun while working. We always get our work done, but sometimes we take more time or work less efficiently. We all love to have fun but sometimes (not always) my bosses are strict about getting things done in an efficient manner. So basically, when I am alone and they are not around, I take my time and enjoy myself, but when they drive by or stop by to check on me, I work my ass off. I also tend to work harder when residents watch me. Just a personal example of how people change what they are doing when they are being watched.
Hi, I enjoyed reading this post. I definitely agree with this post, and I can relate to it. Last Summer I was an intern at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The other interns and I would play around on the computers, laugh, joke, and goof off. We would even interact this way with some of the employees that worked in our department. Once our boss or the other boss’ in the department came around we became extremely serious. Everyone gravitated toward their assigned areas, as if we weren’t just engaging in playful behavior. I know that this occurred because of naturalistic observation. When we felt we were being watched our behaviors quickly changed to what we felt met the standards of the environment that we were in. Even the employees who worked there for a long time would change their behavior when the managers came around; although they were in their natural environment they still changed their behavior because they knew other people were watching them.
Hey Collin, I really liked reading your post because I am able to relate. While I have also worked in a grocery store I have never before related it to naturalistic observation. Now that I think about it, I notice that I had a very similar experience as you did. While supervisors and managers weren’t around, my coworkers and I would be relaxed sometimes doing things they would’ve disapproved of. However, once one of them came around we were immediately on our best behavior, acting like model employees. This definitely is a great example of why naturalistic observation is important. Observers (our bosses, in this example) aren’t really going to know a person or animals true behaviors unless that person or animal doesn’t know that they are being watched. Even so much as a little ‘feeling’ of being watched can make a person change their behavior. This example could also be related to the theory of behaviorism. In this case the employees learned that when the stimulus (their boss) is present, they have to behave a certain way. If the employees act appropriately they could be rewarded, but if they don’t they could be punished.