An environmental psychologist wants to investigate the frequency of 'littering-by-omission' (where park visitors leave recyclable drink containers behind on benches rather than disposing of them) in a busy public park. They decide to use a naturalistic observation method. The researcher sits on an adjacent bench pretending to read a book during weekend afternoon hours (12:00 pm to 4:00 pm) and records whether visitors leave trash behind on the benches when they depart.