Developmental psychology.pdf

Investigating Behavior 33
Figure 2.2
Naturalistic Observation of
Animals. Numbered rings are placed
on the flippers of birds to be studied
in detail, and they can be read at a
great distance by use of binoculars.
The bird in the right foreground is No.
16(Sladen, 1957).
On another, where nuts and seeds were available as food, the finches had long, strong
beaks, convenient for cracking things open. On another luxuriant island, their beaks
were well suited for eating flowers and fruits.
The giant tortoises also differed from island to island, and the sailors aboard
ship, who welcomed them as fresh meat for long voyages, had little difficulty in determining
their place of origin. These tortoises also were different from those on the
mainland nearby and from those in other parts of the world. Isolation, it seemed, had
encouraged a distinctive adaptation of each species, according to its particular environment
(Darwin, 1859).
Darwin's interpretation of these observations, called the theory of evolution,
was a direct challenge to the currently accepted view that each species came into existence
in its present form. For this view he was hung in effigy and declared the most
dangerous man in England, but as the years went by the theory gained in acceptance.
This work, based almost exclusively on naturalistic observation and what Darwin had
learned from others, is today one of the most influential doctrines in Western thought.
Especially in evolutionary biology and related fields, it has provided an almost endless
series of hypotheses for further testing.
Problems and Decisions
Naturalistic observation is a good beginning and highly appropriate for a new area of
research, for it is not contrived. It is a relatively simple, natural, and straightforward
method of investigation, but therein lies its chief limitation.
Limitations of the Method Nature is so complex that naturalistic observation, by
itself, typically does not yield an in-depth understanding of any phenomenon. The great
number of factors that influence any given event are usually so intermixed that causeand-effect
interpretations cannot be made with any confidence. We cannot awaken the
sleeper, asking: "Who is Soupy?" "What about your mother?" "What did you do before
going to sleep?" We cannot alter the natural condition and therefore, after an
exploratory study through naturalistic observation, another research method may be
useful.