4-1 AS (125 words and 1 reference)

After finishing the article on naturalistic observation's definition. My understanding is that it is a method of data collection in a natural environment. Because there is no predetermined standard for gathering this data, I am going to presume that the results will be more qualitative. I believe that observation of behaviors in a certain number of individuals and determining how those behaviors connect to one another would be an excellent example.I can see how there may be a problem with biases, but in the case of my example, you would need to be very specific in the aims of the research to ensure that there are no underlying biases in the end and in how the data is obtained.

4-1 JWJ (125 words and 1 reference)

Naturalistic observation is used to observe the behavior of subjects or participants in the most natural setting where the behavior would occur. There should be little to no attempt to excessively manipulate the setting in which the observations are made. An example of naturalistic observation could be seeing how many people place the cart back after grocery shopping or observing the interactions of kids at a daycare center (Privitera, 2018).

Privitera mentions two sources of bias during observation. One source of observer bias occurs when the observer knows the intent or purpose of a research study. Knowing the purpose can influence how they observe or interpret a research situation (Privitera, 2018). Another source of bias can occur if the observer makes interpretations during the observations. The observer should only record behaviors as they quantified (Privitera, 2018). Bias should be avoided as it can upset the integrity of the study.  

4-2 AZ (125 words and 1 reference)

Naturalistic observations are ideal in situations where the lab or a controlled setting would interfere with the behavior or ethical treatment of the subjects. It needs to be done unobtrusively and depending on the situation may be less cost prohibitive than other forms of research. It provides qualitative data so a disadvantage would be the lack of quantitative data. Surveys are another form of practical research in that they can be less expensive and a qualitative method. There may be the ability to quantify the number of same or similar responses, if the questions or survey is conducted in a tabular manner. For example, if the subjects were scoring their response with a one through ten scale, rather than open ended questions. Each method has advantages and disadvantages; the researcher must have a plan on how the data will be managed and reviewed when designing the study. Surveys are less expensive and likely less time consuming than naturalistic observational studies when a large data set is needed. A disadvantage to this surveys can be with the population sampled, was it targeted or random and what limitations occurred in how the surveys were administered. Since the participants know they are the subjects, there is a possibility that they will answer how they think the researcher wants them to respond, or to align with societal pressures. The correlational studies are based on selected variables and are examined to determine the relationship between these variables. The advantage to this method is the variety of statistical analysis that can easily be performed using linear regressions and correlation coefficients. The disadvantage can be in how it is interpreted, and determining which variable is impacting on another and if it is truly causal.

The nonexperimental study design I would choose would be a survey, as this will support the type of research I will conduct when assessing the psychological impact on employees when subjected to repeated corporate reorganizations. At some point, I would like to design a correlative study on the number of reorganizations that a company conducts and the level of attrition at that company. The challenge I find with this design is the extensive number of other variables that could interfere with the data.