List and explain three threats to internal validity in naturalistic observation research. Apply these to an example not discussed in the text or class.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: Just because naturalistic observation seems to be part of our lives does not exempt it from the same general principles that guide all research. An example might be observing whether girls are aggressive on the playground. First, it is important to remember that when we are observing, we are bringing “us” into our observations. We have preconceived ideas that might affect what we actually observe. Something might happen, but because we were not expecting it to happen, we miss it, or at least most of it. For example, if you are expecting girls to be physically aggressive and that is all you look for, you might miss their verbal teasing. Second, because of the subjective nature of observation, we need to establish interobserver reliability. That is, two or more people need to observe the behavior under question and categorize it. Then, they need to get back together and assess how much they agreed and how much they disagreed. If there is not an acceptable amount of agreement, the data are not usable. They can try again, but they cannot just go forward. In our example, the researchers would need to define clearly what is meant by aggression. Does shoving count? How about a shoulder nudge? Finally, there is also the possibility the observer affects and even changes the observed. The researcher could by his very presence change the aggression levels on the playground. If children realize an outside adult is watching, they may behave better than normal because they know that the teachers know and the teachers want to look good.