The theory I had tested was to see why children behave differently in a structured setting such as a daycare as opposed to a more relaxed setting like at home. I came up with this theory while picking my granddaughter up from daycare and would see how she would interact with the kids there. When she got home she would act differently with the kids outside of our home. I asked some of the parents did they mind me doing research on their children since some of the children attending lived in my neighborhood.

I used a naturalistic approach when doing my research. I had starting observing the children’s behavior in the morning and afternoon at the daycare and when I would return home for the day. At daycare, the children seemed a little tensed and seem like they were just going through the motions of being there. They had a set schedule that they followed and this made some children react negatively because they had to be always told what they can do. At home when the children were outside playing, they seemed more relaxed because they can play how they want without the rules.

My research method was similar to the methods that psychologists use because I paid close attention to the children’s behavior and actions. I watched and listened how they interacted with each other at daycare and at home. I found that the children played differently at home than at daycare because they were freer to explore more things instead of just sticking to a schedule. The things that I would do differently are to see what the children do at daycare and at home more closely and see what children they play with at both places. I came to the conclusions that the environment is the key factor as to why the children act differently. Daycare has to run on a schedule and all the children have to follow the same schedule. At home, the children are more relaxed and are freer to play how they