Naturalistic Observation
Another straightforward way to learn about behavior is simply to watch and describe it as it naturally occurs. The careful observation and recording of behavior in real-life settings is called naturalistic observation. When internationally known scientist Jane Goodall goes to Africa, sits down in the jungle, and watches a troop of apes, she is using naturalistic observation. She watches the apes in their natural habitat over long periods of time, taking careful notes of what she sees until specific patterns of behavior become evident. Using this method, she and her coworkers have learned that the social behavior and use of some tools by apes is often strikingly similar to that of humans. She has discovered, though, that apes are also capable of murder-ambushing and killing other apes over relatively minor incidents in a way that looks "intentional."
The method of naturalistic observation is not restricted to the study of animal behavior. It's a method also used to study such topics as the play and friendship patterns of young children, the leadership tactics of effective business managers, and the ways in which juvenile delinquents encourage antisocial behavior in one another.
