Unobtrusively observing people who are eating at a fast food restaurant in order to determine how frequently they take bites of their food is an example of
A) naturalistic observation.
B) the case study method.
C) the survey method.
D) the experimental method.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario describes naturalistic observation, which involves observing people or animals in their natural environment without interfering or manipulating variables. The researcher is simply observing behavior as it occurs naturally. The case study method involves in-depth examination of one individual or group and is not applicable here. The survey method involves asking people to self-report on their behavior, which does not seem appropriate for this scenario. The experimental method involves manipulating variables and is not applicable here as the researchers are only observing behavior without any manipulation.

Unobtrusively Observing People Who Are Eating at a Fast Food