naturalistic study
nounUK /ˌnætʃərəˈlɪstɪk ˈstʌdi/
US /ˌnætʃərəˈlɪstɪk ˈstʌdi/
A naturalistic study is when scientists watch things happen in the real world without changing anything.
The scientists did a naturalistic study of how children play at the park.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A research method where people are watched in their normal setting.
She used a naturalistic study to learn how shoppers behave.
3. A way of studying animals in their own habitat.
The naturalistic study showed how birds build nests in the wild.
4. A study that does not use experiments or controls.
Unlike a lab test, the naturalistic study had no control group.