Social Groups Naturalistic Observation
1. This will be done with one other person as your partner.
2. When you arrive to begin your observation, you and your partner must decide
whom you are going to observe. Do not try to observe a group of more than five
people. You must observe at least two people who are together and interacting.
3. What to look for
a. Physical descriptions of subjects including things such as age, gender,
race, height (short, medium, tall), weight (slim, heavy, average) as
appropriate
b. Physical description of behavior. Who was where? Next to whom?
Moved to where? What did they physically do? If you can hear, what did
they talk about? (Be sure to consider ethics. If you are hearing something
you don’t believe you should be overhearing, move away)
c. If making an inference or subjective interpretation (usually about motives
or emotions) give observable evidence to support your opinion. For
example: X appeared to be the leader because Y and Z were paying close
attention to him, evidence by their maintaining eye contact with him. OR
X was frustrated as evidenced by…
4. Once you have decided upon your subjects, move away from your partner. While
your observation is taking place, take notes on what you are seeing. You can
handwrite the notes or use a memo or personal recorder./ Do not depend upon
your memory. Do not communicate with your partner or the subjects at any time
during the observation. Be as discrete and objective as possible. If you think that
you have been spotted then move away and stop your observation
5. Once your observation is completed, DO NOT DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR
PARTNER.
6. Write the initial sections of your paper, using your notes on what you observed.
Report your observations and, if you report inferences,, be sure that they are
backed up by observations. When this is done, exchange papers with our partner
and read each other’s observations. You will then, on your own, describe the
differences between the observations and discuss possible reasons the differences
might have occurred.
7. Please define, right at the beginning of the paper, who your partner was, the
group you are observing, the location of the observation and the date and time of
the observation
8. The final section of your paper must include possible hypothesis for future
research that came out of your observation. For example, one person in the group
you were observing might have paid more attention to a particular gender, or a
stranger attempted to enter the discussion with the group.
Paper:
Part 1-date, time, place, nature of group, partner’s name
Part 2-Main body of observation
Part 3-Differences between your observations and partner’s and why
Part 4-possible hypotheses (could be only one)
The report is an individual report
Rubric:
1. Group, location date and time identified
0
1
2. Subjects identified (gender, race, age or class)
0
1
3. Observation well detailed
10 pt max:______________
4. Differences between researcher’s
4 pt max:_______________
observations described and explained
5. Hypothesis clearly stated
2 pt max________________
6. Inferences backed up by evidence
4 pt max________________