Rebalancing social & personality psychology methods: The case for naturalistic observation

Abstract

Though naturalistic observation methods are lauded for their utility, they are often neglected in social and personality psychology research. This paper describes evidence of the absence of naturalistic observation methods in our field, and some historical roots of this methodological imbalance in social/personality (SP) psychology. The paper then provides an overview of existing naturalistic observation methods relevant to SP psychology, describes various types of barriers to conducting such research, and concludes with recommendations for overcoming these barriers to produce a more well‐rounded science. It is time to rebalance SP psychological methods by valuing and investing in naturalistic observation research.