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An industrial-organizational psychologist plans to observe team collaboration in an office. Knowing that employees will initially show reactivity due to the observer's presence, how should the researcher apply the concept of habituation to design the timing of their data collection to ensure the data is representative of natural behavior?

Question: An industrial-organizational psychologist plans to observe team collaboration in an office. Knowing that employees will initially show reactivity due to the observer's presence, how should the researcher apply the concept of habituation to design the timing of their data collection to ensure the data is representative of natural behavior?

Sample answer: The researcher should design the study to include an extended observation period before analyzing the data. By observing the employees over a prolonged timeframe, the employees will have sufficient time to habituate to being monitored, allowing their initial reactivity to fade so they resume their natural, uninhibited work habits.

Key points:

  • Apply habituation by extending the observation period over a longer time.
  • State that the initial data collection period should account for reactivity.
  • Explain that a longer timeline allows participants to habituate to the observer and resume natural behaviors.

Feedback: Correct answers should apply the concept of habituation by recommending a design that schedules observation over a longer duration or includes a warm-up period. This allows participants to get used to the observer, move past initial reactivity, and resume natural behaviors.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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