ABSTRACT
Most people have been conducting behavioral observation all their lives: Sitting in cafés, walking in the park, or shopping for groceries all involve a good deal of people watching. Indeed, when new acquaintances hear about my research, which regularly involves making observations, they often comment about how lucky I am to people-watch for a living (I agree). Although the process of making observations may seem intuitively obvious to some people, in reality this natural activity involves learned skills that are necessary to generate valid data. Using those skills is what this chapter is about. I provide a brief look at the use of observation in human sexuality research, a discussion of the limitations and benefits of using the methods of behavioral observation in studying human sexuality, and an overview of the techniques used in observational research, including a consideration of ethical issues.
