The project at a glance
You will pick a testable question about everyday behavior, decide in advance exactly what counts, spend 60–90 minutes quietly observing a public place while keeping a tally, find one peer-reviewed article that connects to your question, and bring it all together in a strictly timed 5–6 minute talk. No surveys, no interviews, no experiments. Just watching, carefully.
One page: your question, setting and time, operational definitions, and a sketch of your tally sheet. Upload to Canvas.
A photo or scan of your raw tally sheet, plus the APA 7 citation of your peer-reviewed article. Upload to Canvas.
A 5–6 minute talk with slides, then brief questions. Everyone uploads slides by Mon, Dec 14, 1:40 PM.
Why this project?
In the Research Methods unit you met naturalistic observation: studying behavior where it actually happens, without stepping in to change it. It trades control for realism. You cannot prove what causes what, but you do get to see what people really do rather than what they say they do. This project makes you do it for real, so every idea from that unit (operational definitions, inter-rater reliability, reactivity, correlation versus causation) stops being a vocabulary word and becomes a decision you had to make.
It also puts the Research Ethics unit into practice. You will be watching strangers. The rules in Step 3 are how you do that respectfully.
Step 1 · Pick a question you care about
A good question is about observable behavior, in a public place, that you can answer by counting. The best questions compare two or more groups or conditions, so you have something to look for (for example, with a bag vs. without one, alone vs. with others, morning vs. evening).
◆ The ten-foot test
Can you count this from ten feet away, without anyone knowing you are counting, and without guessing what is going on inside someone’s head? If yes, it qualifies.
◆ Off limits
Not at your job. Not on shift, not off duty, not as a customer at the place you work. Not on your commute. Pick a place you go to on purpose, for this project, and give it your full attention. Nothing about phones. No phone checking, phone use, screen time, or “who is looking at a phone” questions, in any form.
Weak question → testable question
| Too vague | Testable | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Are New Yorkers rude? | Do people say “thank you” more often when someone holds a door for them than when the door is simply left open? | “Rude” became two behaviors you can hear and count. |
| Are people territorial? | At a row of park benches, how often does a newcomer sit on a bench a stranger is already using, and does it change as the benches fill? | “Territorial” is an inner state; where someone sits is observable. |
| Do people care about their health? | When stairs and an escalator are side by side, how many people take the stairs, and does carrying a bag change it? | An attitude became a choice you can tally. |
| What do students do in the library? | Do students choose a seat next to a stranger, or leave an empty seat as a buffer, at solo seats vs. group tables? | A topic became a measurement with two conditions. |
Starter bank
Adapt any of these, combine them, or bring your own idea.
- Door-holding Does the distance behind the door-holder predict whether the next person says thanks? Do people hold doors more for someone carrying something?
- Elevators Where do people stand as the car fills? Who talks, who watches the floor numbers, who faces the door?
- Library study Solo vs. group tables; how long before someone first gets up; do people sit next to strangers or leave an empty seat as a buffer?
- Stairs vs. escalator Who takes the stairs when both are available? Does it change with a bag, a companion, or the time of day?
- Crosswalks Who waits for the signal and who crosses early, and does one person crossing pull others along?
- Coffee-shop laptops Headphones in vs. out; how many people are alone but “together” at a shared table?
- Park benches Which benches fill first? Do strangers share a bench, or wait for an empty one?
- Sidewalk passing When two people approach head-on, who steps aside? Does it differ for people walking alone vs. in pairs?
- Gym norms Who wipes down equipment? Who re-racks weights?
- Dog walkers Do people walking dogs get greeted by strangers more than people without dogs?
- Checkout lines Which line do people choose, and how often do they switch? Does a longer line change who switches?
- Classroom seating Where do early arrivals sit? Do the same people take the same seats each time?
- Litter and bins Does the distance to the nearest bin predict whether trash gets binned?
- Waiting rooms and lines How much distance do strangers leave between each other? Does it shrink as the space fills?
Choose a setting or behavior that interests you. You will be a better observer for it, and a better presenter, because you will have something to say.
Step 2 · Nail down your operational definitions before you start
An operational definition says exactly what counts. Write one for every behavior and every category you will tally, including the ones that seem obvious. The goal: two observers using your definitions, watching the same people, should get the same counts. That is inter-rater reliability.
| Not a definition | Operational definition |
|---|---|
| Held the door | Kept a hand on the open door until the next person touched it, when that person was within about 10 feet. |
| Said thanks | Said “thanks,” “thank you,” “appreciate it,” or gave a clear nod or wave toward the door-holder within 3 seconds. |
| Waited for the signal | Stayed on the curb until the walk signal appeared. Stepping into the street before the signal, even one step, counts as “crossed early.” |
| Carrying something | Holding a bag, box, or drink in at least one hand. A backpack or cross-body bag worn on the body does not count. |
Avoid categories that require guessing. Age, ethnicity, and gender are hard to judge reliably from a distance and invite bias. If you truly need one, define it cautiously (for example, “appears to be an adult”), and expect to discuss it as a limitation.
The proposal · due Monday, October 5, 1:40 PM
One page. Upload a PDF, a Word file, or a clear photo of a handwritten page to the Everyday Psychologist | 1. Proposal assignment on Canvas. Nothing is accepted late. It must contain four things:
- Your research question: one sentence about an observable, countable behavior in a public setting.
- Your setting and time window: exactly where you will stand or sit, and when you plan to observe (60–90 minutes total, in one session or two).
- Operational definitions for every behavior and every category you will tally.
- A sketch of your tally sheet: rows are observations (one per person or event), columns are your categories.
Copy this template
- Name:
- __________________
- 1. Research question:
- Do/Does ________ (behavior) differ depending on ________ (condition or group) at ________ (place)?
- 2. Setting and time:
- Location: ________ · Where I will sit or stand: ________ · Day(s) and time(s): ________ · Total minutes planned: ____
- 3. Operational definitions:
- Behavior A = ________ · Behavior B = ________ · Condition/group 1 = ________ · Condition/group 2 = ________
- 4. Tally sheet sketch:
- Draw a table with one row per person or event and one column per category. Add a column for time, and a notes column.
Worked example (do not copy this one)
- 1. Research question
- At a subway exit where stairs and an escalator sit side by side, are people who are carrying something less likely to take the stairs than people who are not?
- 2. Setting and time
- The street-level exit of a subway station that has a fixed staircase directly beside an up escalator. I will stand at the top, by the newsstand, facing both. Tuesday 8:00–8:45 AM and Thursday 5:00–5:45 PM (90 minutes total).
- 3. Operational definitions
- Took the stairs: stepped onto the staircase and reached the top by walking. Took the escalator: rode the escalator to the top, whether standing or walking on it. Carrying something: holding a bag, box, stroller, or drink in at least one hand; a backpack worn on the back does not count. I count only people exiting upward, one row per person. If the escalator is out of service, I stop counting and note the time.
- 4. Tally sheet sketch
- See the sample below.
| # | Time | Stairs | Escalator | Carrying something? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:02 | ✓ | No | ||
| 2 | 8:02 | ✓ | Yes | rolling suitcase | |
| 3 | 8:03 | ✓ | No | walked up escalator | |
| … |
Before you upload: checklist
- My question is one sentence and names a behavior I can see or hear, not a feeling, motive, or personality trait.
- My setting is public, and mostly adults will be there.
- My setting is not my workplace and not my commute, and my question has nothing to do with phones.
- I named a specific spot and specific times that add up to 60–90 minutes.
- Every word in my tally-sheet columns has a definition a classmate could apply without asking me.
- My tally sheet has one row per person or event, a time column, and a notes column.
- It fits on one page, and my name is on it.
Common mistakes that cost points
- Mind-reading. “Counts people who look stressed.” You cannot see stress; you can see pacing, checking a watch, or tapping a foot.
- Setting too vague. “Downtown Brooklyn” is a neighborhood, not a setting. Name the corner, the doorway, or the room.
- A behavior that almost never happens. If you might see it three times in 90 minutes, you will have nothing to chart. Visit your spot for five minutes first, before you commit.
- An off-limits setting or topic. Your job, your commute, or anything about phones. These proposals get sent back.
- Interacting with people. Asking questions, staging a situation, or dropping something to see who picks it up is an experiment, not observation. Not allowed for this project.
If you need to change your question after the proposal, email me before you observe.
Step 3 · Observe: 60–90 minutes, unobtrusive, ethical
These rules are not suggestions. They are the principles from the Ethics unit, applied to you.
- Public setting only. A place where anyone could be watching anyway: sidewalks, lobbies, cafés, parks, transit stations, campus common areas. Not restrooms, locker rooms, medical offices, or places of worship during services. Not your job, and not your commute: go to your setting on purpose, for this project.
- No photos, no video, no audio. Ever. Not even “just for my notes.”
- No identifying information. No names, and no descriptions that could pick out a particular person. Tally marks and your defined categories only.
- Do not interact, interfere, or stage anything. If someone asks what you are doing, tell them honestly and do not count them.
- Observe adults. If your setting turns out to be mostly children, choose a different setting.
- Blend in. People who know they are being watched act differently (reactivity). Sit or stand where people normally sit or stand, and keep your sheet low-key.
- Use paper, not your phone. Bring a pen and a clipboard or notebook. Keep the raw sheet, messy and all; you will upload a photo of it on Nov 16.
Step 4 · Find one peer-reviewed article
Find one published, peer-reviewed study that connects to your question, even tangentially. Search the SJNY library databases (PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES) or Google Scholar with plain keywords from your topic (for example, stair use, littering norms, personal space, door holding). News stories, blogs, and textbooks do not count. You need the full citation in APA 7 format for the Nov 16 check-in. Here is what one looks like:
Cialdini, R. B., Reno, R. R., & Kallgren, C. A. (1990). A focus theory of normative conduct: Recycling the concept of norms to reduce littering in public places. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58(6), 1015–1026. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.58.6.1015
For the talk, you need to be able to say three things about your article: what they asked, what they did, and what they found.
Step 5 · Present: 5–6 minutes, strictly timed
Slides are required (Google Slides or PowerPoint; export to PDF and upload to Canvas by Mon, Dec 14, 1:40 PM, even if you are in Group 2). A talk that fits the time has about six slides:
- Your question and why you chose it.
- Your method: setting, times, operational definitions, how you tallied.
- Your results: the counts, or one simple, clearly labeled chart.
- The published study and how it connects to what you saw.
- Limitations: what your observation cannot tell us, and what you would do differently.
- One takeaway in a sentence. Then questions from the class.
Group 1 presents Mon, Dec 14; Group 2 presents during our finals-week session, Wed, Dec 16, 1:40–3:40 PM. The order will be posted on Canvas. Missing a presentation day costs an additional 1% of your course grade (see the syllabus).
Rubric (30 points total)
| Part | Criterion | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Proposal | Testable question about observable public behavior | 1 |
| Proposal | Specific setting and planned time window | 1 |
| Proposal | Operational definitions that two observers could apply identically | 2 |
| Proposal | Tally-sheet sketch | 1 |
| Check-in | Photo or scan of the raw tally sheet or log (complete, legible, 60–90 minutes) | 3 |
| Check-in | Peer-reviewed article, cited correctly in APA 7 | 2 |
| Presentation | Question and rationale are clear | 3 |
| Presentation | Method: setting, definitions, procedure | 4 |
| Presentation | Results: accurate, labeled chart or counts | 4 |
| Presentation | Connection to the published study | 4 |
| Presentation | Limitations, stated honestly | 2 |
| Presentation | Delivery and timing (5–6 minutes; over or under costs points) | 3 |
Project work is your own. The AI-tool policy in the syllabus applies to every part, including the slides.
Questions students ask
Does my question need to be original?
No. Using the starter bank is fine. What has to be yours is the setting, the definitions, and the data.
Can I study phone use?
No. Phone checking is the topic everyone picks first, so it is off the table. Look at what people do with their bodies, their space, and each other instead.
Can I observe at my job, on my commute, my dorm, or my family’s home?
No. Your home or a private space is out; it has to be public. Your job is out, even off duty. Your commute is out, too: you cannot watch carefully while you are also getting somewhere. Choose a public place and go there for this project.
Do I need permission from the IRB?
No. This is a class exercise that will not be published, so it does not go to the IRB. That is exactly why the ethics rules in Step 3 are non-negotiable.
Can I split my 60–90 minutes across two visits?
Yes. Two sessions are often better, especially if you compare times of day. Record the day and time of each.
What if my results don’t show a difference?
That is a real result. You are graded on the quality of the question, the method, and your thinking, not on whether you found something dramatic.
What if my article isn’t a perfect match?
It does not need to be. “Tangentially related” is fine, as long as you can explain the connection, and where your situation differs.
Stuck on a question? Bring your idea to class or email mwmagee@sjny.edu well before the deadline. Please allow 24 hours on weekdays for a reply; an email the night before the proposal is due will not get an answer in time.