Naturalistic observation is chosen when the researcher wants to know:

1. Every method is suited to a particular kind of question. 2. If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. 3. Taking the behaviour into a laboratory can change the very thing being studied. 4. Causal questions about a drug need an experiment instead. 5. The trade-off is that the researcher gives up control over the situation. _Source: OpenStax Psychology 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 2 'Psychological Research', sections 2.1-2.4_