Final answer:
A researcher dropping a wallet to observe reactions is an example of a breaching experiment in field research, used to study social norms and responses to their violation in a natural setting.
Step-by-step explanation:
A researcher deliberately dropping a wallet in a public place to observe the reactions of passersby is an example of a breaching experiment. This type of field research is typically used in social studies to understand and explore social norms and societal responses to norm violations. The breaching experiments, as developed by sociologist Harold Garfinkel, involve breaking a small social rule in order to study how people naturally respond to the disruption. It is a form of experimental study because it involves manipulating a variable (in this case, the expectation of property ownership and privacy) and observing the effect of that manipulation (the reactions of the passersby) in a natural setting.
These experiments test social theories about normative behaviors and conformity. Unlike observational studies or surveys, breaching experiments actively create a situation to provoke a response, rather than passively recording naturally occurring phenomena. This method falls under the umbrella of social psychology and can offer insights into the power of unwritten social rules and the pressure individuals feel to conform to them.