1994 年 102 巻 1 号 p. 13-22
Time allocation studies provide basic information for understanding human adaptive mechanisms, and thus are especially useful in cross-cultural and inter-individual comparisons of behavioral patterns. Time allocation study methods are classified into three types: (1) “individual tracing, ” in which the researcher traces a subject person, recording the times at which he/she changes behaviors; (2) “observation at fixed spot, ” in which the researcher records all subjects' departures from and returns to a fixed spot; and (3) the “random spot-check, ” in which the researcher visits the subjects to observe their behaviors according to a randomly set schedule. Comparing the advantages and disadvantages of these methods and examining the reliability of inter-society comparison based mainly on my studies in Papua New Guinea communities, this paper aims to identify the most appropriate methods in time allocation studies.
