Research Methods: Observational Study using Naturalistic Observation

One of the best ways to learn about observation research is to conduct some. This week’s Journal Activity will have you conduct your own observational study using naturalistic observation. In using a naturalistic observation, you should observe people who you do not know in a public setting. You should not interact with the people you are collecting data on and you should not collect any identifying information on the individuals you are observing.
For this activity, choose a public area where there are people for at least fifteen minutes (e.g., mall, restaurant, café, park) for your study. Then, create a research question and hypothesis that has to do with people's potential behaviors in this environment. Next, identify what specific behaviors you want to collect data on to test your hypothesis.
Find a crowded area where there are people for at least fifteen minutes (e.g., mall, restaurant, baseball game, or waiting room). Then, create a research question and hypothesis that has to do with people's behaviors in this environment. Next, identify what specific behaviors you want to collect data on to test your hypothesis.
Using the Unit 7 Journal Template, collect 15 minutes of data and in 1-2 pages, present the following information:
Your research question
Your hypothesis
15 minutes of collected data
A summary of how you interpret the data and if it confirms or disconfirms your hypothesis
You can present 15 minutes of collected data in a paragraph or in a table format. Your response needs to make it clear that your observation lasted for at least 15 minutes and that your data is spanning this time frame. You do not need to run any statistical analyses on the data you collect.