Final answer:
Observational research provides the advantages of not requiring respondent interaction, capturing actual behavior that is less likely to be influenced by social desirability, avoiding reliance on potentially inaccurate memories, and being suitable in situations where experimentation is inappropriate or infeasible.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Pros of observational research include several advantages compared to other types of research methods. Firstly, interaction with the respondent is not necessary, allowing observations of behavior in a natural setting without interference.
Secondly, actual behavior does not lie, which means that observations can avoid issues such as social desirability bias where respondents might otherwise provide socially acceptable answers rather than truthful ones. Thirdly, there is no need to rely on respondents' memories, which can be fallible and subject to various biases.
Lastly, for certain research situations, experimentation is not the solution due to ethical, practical, or conceptual constraints, and observational methods can uniquely address these cases.
Challenges such as observer bias can affect the objectivity and accuracy of observations; therefore, measures like establishing clear criteria and assessing inter-rater reliability are important for enhancing the credibility of the findings.
Despite some of its drawbacks such as the potential lack of control and difficulty in generalizing findings to larger populations, observational studies are critical in scenarios where experimental manipulation is not feasible, and they offer high ecological validity.