Naive Observer

A naïve observer is someone who is tasked to perceive and record information; however, he does not know what specific behaviors, events, or factors should he pay attention to. For instance, a psychology student is assigned to be the observer in the laboratory. He is asked to simply watch and take note of important concepts. He observed the behavior of a research participant who was being interviewed through a one-way mirror. His notes are later compared with that of another observer who was previously informed that the research participant was actually diagnosed with schizophrenia. When their observation notes are compared, the naïve observer’s data are generally neutral while those of the informed observer were more negative and clinical in nature.