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Get out paper to take notes on your first project on Naturalistic Observation.

Naturalistic Observation

AP Psychology Ms. Desgrosellier

5.17.2010

Naturalistic Observation

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation.

Your Project

Who shows anger more, males or females?

Who shows happiness more, males or females?

Your Sample

High school students (14 – 18 years old) at Uplift Community High School during their lunch period.

Systematic sampling: choose a number and observe every nth person you see.

Systematic Sampling

Your Sample

You must observe at least 50 people.

You need to:

Choose a group (no more than 4 people). I suggest picking people with the same lunch period as you.

Decide which people you will be observing (e.g. every 3rd person, every 8th person, etc.)

You need to:

Create a hypothesis about what you think you will see during your observations.

You need to:

Create operation definitions for “anger” and “happiness”.

These need to be SPECIFIC and OBSERVABLE.

So, “mad” or “joyful” won’t cut it.

Operational Definitions

Right now, create your personal operational definitions for “anger” and “happiness” INDEPENDENTLY.

Now, share out with your group.

As a group, create your operational definitions that you will observe.

Collecting your data:

On paper, simply note the gender of the person you are observing.

Watch them for one minute. Then note if they show ‘anger’ or ‘happiness’.

Collecting your data:

Gender Anger Happiness

M yes no

F no yes

F yes no

Practice:

Watch the following clip and decide whether you see anger or happiness BASED ON YOUR OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS!

Operational Definitions

Decide whether you need to change anything in your definitions after trying them out with a video.

Share out your definitions with the group.

Edit again if necessary.

Final Product

APA-style paper

Any data you collect

DUE MONDAY, MAY 24.

TIMELINE

MONDAY: Go over expectations

TUESDAY: Collect data and go over paper outline.

WEDNESDAY: Talk about results so far and start working on paper.

TIMELINE

THURSDAY: analyze data and work on paper.

FRIDAY: finalize paper.

MONDAY: FINAL PAPER DUE!