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Direct observations of our own and others' behavior, as well as secondhand observations from non-scientific sources like newspapers and blogs, can inspire research questions. Many renowned psychological studies began with researchers noticing interesting behavioral patterns in everyday life or current events.

Informal Observations as Research Inspiration

Stanley Milgram's renowned research on obedience to authority was partially inspired by his secondhand informal observation of accused Nazi war criminals on trial. Hearing their claims that they were merely following orders led him to formulate research ideas about whether ordinary people would perform immoral acts when directed by an authority figure.

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