What type of non-standardized observations do we make in daily life?

Casual observations refer to the informal and often incidental observations we make during daily life. These types of observations are unstructured and occur in everyday settings, allowing us to notice behaviors and interactions without a specific purpose or formal method. For example, when walking through a park, you might casually observe how people interact with their environment, like how a child plays on the swings or how a group of friends engages in conversation. These observations can provide valuable insights into general behavior patterns and social interactions without the constraints of a formal observation protocol.

In contrast, skilled observations typically require training and focus on specific skills or behaviors within a structured context. Naturalistic observations imply observing subjects in their natural environment, often with a defined research objective, and are more systematic than casual observations. Duration observations involve recording the length of time a particular behavior occurs, which is a more quantitative approach and not typically what one would do casually in daily life. Casual observations are more representative of the spontaneous observations we make as part of our day-to-day experiences.