Case Studies and Observational Research
Naturalistic Observation Exercise
One of the best ways to learn about observation research is to conduct some. This exercise is not meant for publication of data and will not be developed into a full study. So, you can fully participate in this exercise as a true researcher might.
Find a crowded area where there are people for at least fifteen minutes (e.g., mall, restaurant, baseball game, or waiting room). Create a research question and hypothesis that has to do with people's behaviors in this environment. Identify what specific behaviors you want to collect data on to test your hypothesis.
Collect 15 minutes of data.
In 2 pages, present:
1. Your Research Question
2. Your Hypothesis
3. 15 minutes of collected data
4. A summary of how you interpret the data and if it confirms or disconfirms your hypothesis.