A developmental psychologist visits a local playground and notices that boys were more frequently jumping off of high surfaces than girls. Now, she wants to see if she can observe gender differences in risk-taking behaviors during childhood. Which of the following methods would be the most effective tool for determining whether boys are more likely to jump off of high surfaces than girls on a playground? Survey Case study Naturalistic observation Experimental

1. The researcher wants to investigate a real-world behavior (jumping off high surfaces) without interfering in the natural setting. 2. A survey requires self-reporting and may not accurately capture impulsive or risky behavior observed in a playground setting. 3. A case study focuses on an individual or a very small group, which would not be representative of the general child population. 4. An experiment involves manipulating conditions, which is not appropriate or ethical for observing natural risk-taking behaviors in children. 5. **Naturalistic observation** is the method in which the psychologist would watch and record behavior as it naturally occurs in the playground without intervention. Therefore, the most effective tool is: \( \textbf{Naturalistic observation} \)