What are observational skills essential for a professional psychologist?

Psychologists as researchers and practitioners pay attention, watch and listen carefully. They use all their senses, noticing what is seen, heard, smelt, touched, tasted. A psychologist, thus, is like an instrument that absorbs all sources of information from the environment.

Psychologists should have training in objectives and systematic observation.

• They should have skill to observe various aspects of surrounding including people and varying events.

• Psychologists should engage in observing people and their actions with following precautions:

— Patience

— Optimistic curiosity

— Respecting clients privacy.

— Awareness of peoples reactions, emotions and motivation.

— Training good questions which could be answered during observation.