Naturalistic observation: characteristics of this form of research

There are many ways to collect data about a particular individual, but none as simple and effective as naturalistic observation.

We are going to discover the advantages that using this method provides us, what is the way to do it correctly and the differences with other forms of observation, to know in depth this methodology and to be able to use it without difficulties.

• Related article: "The 15 types of research (and characteristics)"

What is naturalistic observation?

Naturalistic observation is a method used in research and whose foundation is to perform the observation of a subject or subjects, whether they are people or animals, doing it directly in the place where he lives, without the researcher disturbing him in the slightest, in order to avoid any type of interference that supposes a different behavior than it would have if there were no observer there.

For this reason, discretion is essential in naturalistic observation. We must avoid contaminating the stage and interactions, even with our mere presence. For this reason, the perfect example of naturalistic observation is one in which the individual does not realize that he is being observed, so we do not give rise to the possibility that his behavior is altered by the irruption of a stranger in his environment usual.

The advantages of using this methodology are evident: we obtain real results, without any type of alteration. The behavior of the individual that we record is what, in fact, should take place in his habitat, under those conditions. On the contrary, if this observation were carried out in an artificial environment, such as a laboratory, we would have to control a multitude of variables and we would never be certain that the observation corresponds to a behavior natural.

Besides, naturalistic observation is the only way, or at least the only way that ethics allows us, to be able to analyze certain eventss that, by their nature, it would not make sense to build artificially, such as those that are related to a crime. In this line, the recordings of the video surveillance cameras and the testimonies of eyewitnesses provide information for make an observation, in this case a posteriori, with which to draw conclusions and even anticipate a series of behaviors.

Different uses

Talking about the uses of naturalistic observation is, in reality, something almost endless. And it is that this technique is so useful and so simple to carry out that many disciplines, of a different nature.

Of course, one of the things that draws the most from it is none other than Psychology, and that is that the science of human behavior needs feed on the most neutral and reliable information possible, so naturalistic observation is an ideal method to achieve this. purpose.

In that line, ethology, the science of animal behavior, may be an even clearer example. Either to study the behaviors of certain species, to learn more about them, or because of their evolutionary closeness to humans, such as different species of primates (chimpanzees, bonobos or orangutans), since the recorded behaviors would help us to know ourselves better, naturalistic observation is a valuable tool incalculable.

The clearest example would be that of the work carried out by the primatologist, Jane Goodall, throughout a lifetime. Thanks to her studies on the ground, using almost only the method of naturalistic observation. Goodall has observed a society of chimpanzees for no less than 55 years, collecting an infinite amount of data on their social structure, interactions, emotions and other types of behaviors, which we would never have known otherwise manner.

Naturalistic observation is also very valuable for other sciences, such as criminology, and it is that we already anticipated in the previous point that there is an ethical code that prevents researchers from recreating antisocial behaviors in an artificial environment, so being able to observe them when they occur in a real scenario, in order to collect all the data that will help us to generate new methods that manage to avoid them in the future, it is tremendously useful.

Differences with analog observation

In opposition to naturalistic observation, we would find analogical observation, a methodology based on recreating a real situation within a laboratory environment, so that, instead of the natural habitat of the subject, we would find ourselves in an artificial environment. We have already been intuiting throughout the article that these observations in simulated scenarios entail certain disadvantages, since it is possible that the individual will never behave as he would in his environment natural.

But the truth is that It is not always possible to study the behaviors that interest us in the environment in which they naturally occur.Therefore, on many occasions, researchers find themselves forced to use analogous observation, since the alternative would be not being able to collect any information. In that case, obviously, the logical decision is to use this methodology, being aware of its limitations and taking them into account when analyzing the results.

In any case, if there is no other choice but to use similar observations, the important thing is to do so under the most neutral conditions possible, trying to leave as few variables as possible uncontrolled, to achieve results as similar as possible to those we would find if we had carried out our research in the real habitat of the individuals.

• You may be interested in: "Anthropology: what is it and what is the history of this scientific discipline"

observer bias

Although we have already seen that naturalistic observation is much more valuable than the analogue, the truth is that, in any type of observation we can find ourselves with a difficulty that, as researchers, we must be aware of in order to mitigate it as much as possible. possible. It is none other than observer expectation bias, which can contaminate the data we record during the session.

This bias refers to the influence that the previous expectations that the researcher may have regarding the results of the study, in a way that may lead to erroneous interpretations of the data collected, guiding in some way the conclusions towards the preconceived idea that was had, which would profoundly weaken the internal validity of the entire investigation.

The positive part is that it is a perfectly known and studied phenomenon, and it has a relatively simple solution, which consists of the use of a double blind, a type of experimental design in which neither the subjects that are part of the study nor the subjects themselves Researchers who carry it out know if each specific individual is part of the experimental group or the group. of control. In this way, the naturalistic observation would be more reliable, eliminating this possible bias.

electronically activated recorder

Finally, we are going to learn more about a technique that has been used in recent years to carry out some types of naturalistic observation. Is about the use of the electronically activated recorder, or EAR, for its acronym in English (Electronically Activated Recorder). This device is intended for observations made in a fairly large population sample and in a relatively long period of time, which represents an important advance in the use of this popular methodology.

Since, with these conditions, the amount of data collected would be so enormous that we would have serious difficulties to analyze it correctly, what is done is to use this small recorder, that the person wears attached to his belt or somewhere else on her body, and turns on automatically during certain periods, to record the sounds of different bands of time. This is how we achieved a sample of recordings from many different moments and from a multitude of people.

Thanks to the EAR methodology, The doors have been opened to carry out the naturalistic observation method in very large populations. This represents a great advance, since, with the technical and human resources of the usual studies, classical was to use a reduced sample, and from there the results would have to be extrapolated to the population general. Instead, we now have the option of carrying out studies on a large scale, and with affordable costs, which opens the doors to much more ambitious investigations.

It is another example of how the development of technologies allows us to continue advancing in the path of knowledge, enriching science with new methodologies or classical methodologies that evolve and adapt to new times, as is the case of naturalistic observation with an activated recorder electronically. We must keep abreast of new developments and thus have at our disposal the most cutting-edge tools to develop new and enriching research.

Bibliographic references:

• Angrosino, M.V. (2016). Naturalistic observation. Routledge.
• Christensen, A., Hazzard, A. (1983). Reactive effects during naturalistic observation of families. Behavioral Assessment.
• D'Ocon, A., Cerezo, A. (1995). The naturalistic observation of family interaction. Reliability of sequences of events. Journal of methodology and experimental psychology.
• Mehl, M.R., Robbins, M.L. (2012). Naturalistic observation sampling: The Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR). The Guilford Press.
• Miller, D.B. (1977). Roles of naturalistic observation in comparative psychology. American Psychologist.