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Cons of Naturalistic Observation

A major downside of naturalistic observation is the difficulty in setting up and controlling the study. Researchers lack control over when, or even if, a target behavior will occur. For instance, a researcher observing a restroom for hand-washing behavior might see no one enter all day, or a troop of gorillas under observation might migrate while the researcher is asleep. The benefit of acquiring realistic data comes at the cost of significant investments of time, money, and luck.

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Updated 2026-04-23

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