Final answer:
Dr. Reed uses naturalistic observation at a playground to study how mothers communicate with their toddlers, an approach that helps understand language socialization in natural settings.
Step-by-step explanation:
Dr. Reed, by going to a local playground to observe the interactions between mothers and their toddlers during play, is conducting a type of research known as naturalistic observation. Such observational research allows psychologists to study behavior in its natural environment, providing insight into real-world interactions. This is as opposed to a laboratory setting. Language socialization is a key area of focus in these observations, as it looks at how social contexts, like those between a mother and child, shape the way children acquire language. Professionals might use such methods to examine the way language is naturally taught and overheard in different cultures. For example, some caregivers around the world may speak to children using 'motherese', which is a high-pitched, simplified way of talking, while others might include children in regular conversation without overt teaching. This method gives insight into the nature and nurture aspects of language learning as proposed by Skinner and Chomsky. Observational research can sometimes be structured, as in the case of the Strange Situation procedure, but it commonly strives to be inconspicuous.