Essay

State the two primary ethical conditions that must be met for disguised naturalistic observation to be considered ethically sound, and specify the two examples provided in the text to illustrate acceptable and unacceptable observation settings.

Question: State the two primary ethical conditions that must be met for disguised naturalistic observation to be considered ethically sound, and specify the two examples provided in the text to illustrate acceptable and unacceptable observation settings.

Sample answer: For disguised naturalistic observation to be ethically sound, the individuals observed must be kept anonymous, and the observed actions must occur in public areas where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. The text illustrates this by stating that secretly observing grocery shoppers in a store is acceptable, whereas monitoring behavior in a restroom violates privacy expectations and is unethical.

Key points:

  • Participants must remain anonymous.
  • Observation must take place in public areas lacking a reasonable expectation of privacy.
  • Observing grocery shoppers is generally acceptable.
  • Monitoring bathroom behavior is unethical due to violated privacy expectations.

Rubric: To receive full credit, the response must recall: 1) the requirement for individual anonymity, 2) the requirement that the setting lacks a reasonable expectation of privacy, 3) the grocery shopper example as acceptable, and 4) the restroom behavior example as unacceptable.

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Updated 2026-05-26

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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