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Naturalistic Observation Study Ideas

Naturalistic observation is a broad-spectrum type of research that allows budding scientists to observe variables in a natural setting. The key feature of a naturalistic study is ensuring that the environment has in no way been set up artificially or tampered with by the observer. Many famous studies have stemmed from naturalistic observation, including Jane Goodall̵7;s well-known studies of chimpanzee behavior. One of the main benefits of naturalistic studies is ecological validity, or an accurate representation of the environment.

Bird Watching
- Bird watching is one of the easiest, as well as one of the most common, types of naturalistic studies. One of the first goals is to establish a good description of the behaviors you witness. Birds make this relatively easy, as behaviors between members of the same species or within the same nest can easily be seen and described. Depending on the time of day, time of year, and species, you can observe a variety of different behaviors -- from mating rituals to rearing young. After observation, a good rule of thumb is to narrow down the study to one specific aspect of behavior.
Ice-Skating Rink
- Nature doesn̵7;t limit itself to animals; humans also display many of the fundamental behaviors common to most animals. You can observe people in a variety of situations. A busy skating rink can work well as a make-shift lab, allowing you to compare risk behaviors. After descriptions are established, assign each relative behavior a relative value. All behaviors can be tallied, recorded and then calculated as data. During observation, the collected data should provide you with the information you need to make a prediction about future behaviors.
Squirrel Behavior
- If you̵7;re living on the North American continent, species of monkeys are obviously out of the question for observation; however, with patience and dedication, you can find other species to observe. Squirrels, for instance, are usually available during waking hours and often live in small groups, allowing you to record individual as well as interactive behaviors. When performing naturalistic studies, try to determine causality, which shows that certain behaviors have specific effects.
Warnings
- Although naturalistic observations provide many benefits -- such as being able to observe animals within stressful situations, which might otherwise be considered inhumane -- they also have pitfalls. These studies rely on subjective analysis; what one person deems important might not be seen the same way by another. Naturalistic observations are also prone to false causality conclusions; in other words, what appears to be the cause of an action might not have relevance.

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