Alcohol and violent behavior are essentially related. Domestic violence, sexual assault, murder, anti-social behavior and property crime are all too common with alcohol. Naturalistic observation is a research technique usually used by psychologists and other social scientists. This method involves observing subjects in their natural environment. Naturalistic observation is a good method to study the relationship between alcohol and violence. I would use this method over all other research methods available because you are looking at real people who are under the influence of alcohol without forcing or creating a behavior. You are observing a natural event that happens because you are not interacting with these people. These observations can be made in public places and clubs such as bars, casinos and nightclubs. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay There are many strengths and weaknesses when using natural observation. A strength is that naturalistic observations do not always require informed consent. Another strong point is that you observe people's natural behaviors without knowing they are being observed. Furthermore, these observations can be made in public and not in a laboratory. One of the main weaknesses of natural observation is that if the observer is detected, it can change the behavior of the person being observed. Other weaknesses are that more than one observer is needed and the observer may be influenced by what he or she is seeing. There are also some ethical considerations that need to be taken into account while undertaking this study. An ethical consideration is respecting the rights of others. You are just there to observe them and nothing else. You also need to protect them from damage if necessary. For example, if the person you are watching becomes very violent and poses a danger to themselves or the public, you need to take action and help in any way you can, such as calling the police. Positive reinforcement is a consequence that creates a pleasant state, making the behavior more likely to occur. An example of positive reinforcement is when a mother gives her child a dessert at the end of dinner. Negative reinforcement is a consequence that eliminates an unpleasant state, making a behavior more likely to occur. An example of negative reinforcement is “Billy hates it when his mother nags him about doing the dishes. He starts washing the dishes immediately after finishing a meal to avoid his mother's nagging” (Prince, 2013). There are two types or reinforcers which are primary reinforcers and secondary reinforcers. Primary reinforcer is a reward that provides basic needs such as food, water, and air. Secondary reinforcement, also known as conditioned reinforcement, is a reward that can be exchanged for a reward that satisfies primary needs such as money. One situation where I have been positively reinforced is when I'm at work and guests ask me if they can ride my ride one time for free, I work at the theme park. I let the guest travel for free and they tip me, which is a secondary reinforcer. An ethical consideration of this positive reinforcement is costing the company money. One situation where I have been negatively reinforced is when my dog wakes me up early in the morning by barking, so I get up and give him a treat, so he can be quiet, this is a primary reinforcer. An ethical consideration of my negative reinforcement is that my dog may become unhealthy with all the treats and may even expect a treat every morning. There is also shaping in my negative reinforcement because when my dog hears me get up he starts to.
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