Ideas for observational research?

[Writer]

I have a little class project. Anything observable for four hours, but interesting. What would be a good place or group or event to observe?

[Kali]

1. humans?

teabaggers? (not exactly humans, but phenotypically, I suppose)

I can watch cows for hours, so I guess you just need to decide what interests you.

[Writer]

2. LOL - humans, yes. Human interaction, if at all possible. n/t

[Kali]

3. a hearing or some kind of court procedure?

or less formal - the obvious would be a pick-up bar:rofl:

[MiddleFingerMom]

4. But, Sweetheart!!!!!!!

.
It was SCIENCE!!!!! :party:
.

[Urban Prairie]

10. +1

Teabaggers and this book:

[Fleshdancer]

5. dance class or maybe a museum?

In my town, there are several night clubs that offer partner dance lessons for an hour and then continue to play that type of music for the rest of the evening (tango, swing, c&w, salsa, etc). This would be the obvious first choice for me because partner dancing has it all: awkward introduction, music, possible sexual tension, physical activity, and watching two people who may or may not know each other work together on perfecting their footwork. Some do it well, others fight the entire time.

My second choice: Museum of Modern Art. Some people get it, some people don't. Other people are obviously pissed off when they feel forced to go to places like this and that's when things get fun.

[murielm99]

6. When I had to do this, I observed the fitness center at our

local community college. There were big glass windows, so it was easy to sit at a table outside the center and watch all the people use the exercise equipment, and come and go from the center. I included people standing outside the doors and talking to each other before entering or leaving the center.

I enjoyed this observation more than I thought I would.

[cleveramerican]

7. birds taking off

it just came to me.

[Orrex]

8. A mirror.

See who blinks first.

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

9. Airport

I used to go sit in the airport and watch people for the hell of it and make up little stories about who they were and where they were going based on what they looked like and what their baggage looked like. It was fun.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

11. an Airport. n/t

[lutefisk]

15. Airport-then you can observe TSA & DHS questioning you for 4 more hours

While that could be interesting, in general I'd probably avoid observing high value targets.

[taterguy]

12. A dog park

Or a strip club

[EvolveOrConvolve]

13. Traffic at a really busy intersection during rush hour

It's interesting to watch the non-verbal interactions between drivers. You could also count the number of people you observe breaking traffic laws.

[nolabear]

14. This would make a great blog. Four Hours a Week

observing some aspect of human interaction. The suggestions here are great. I suggest an unemployment office or an ER, if you want intensity. Good luck.

[NightWatcher]

16. Mall. Food. Court.

me and my fiance were in the mall last year in October (I really hate going to the mall), and we sat down for a quick bite. We were amazed by the people that we saw.

You could count crazy things like people on the phone, people with pants below the equator, people wearing clothes that are too small for them, adults that dress like teenagers, numbers of people with "juicy" written across their asses.....

[Kali]

21. bwahahahhaha

"numbers of people with "juicy" written across their asses....."

you have captured the mall experience perfectly. and why I too, hate to go to them.

[rurallib]

17. We sat at monument park in downtown Indianapolis one Saturday afternoon watching

car after car park in a no parking spot and then watched the cops come in and have the cars towed away one after another.
Me, Mrs. Lib and the daughter and SIL. There were three others. One who assured us that he came there every weekend just to watch. He said he used to try to warn people but gave up because no one would listen to him.
ETA - there was also multiple weddings and horse drawn carriages and other wonderful slices of Americana taking place.
One of the most fun afternoons I ever had.

[datasuspect]

18. traffic flow patterns on westbound IH-10 at the Gessner exit from 5 am until 1 pm on Monday

[nolabear]

19. Parents and children at a park.

I've done this. It's fascinating how parents will or will not let their kids interact, take chances, get dirty, etc.

[Kali]

20. that would drive me nuts

especially the overprotective ones that won't let their pudgy, red-faced toddlers ditch the down jackets. In Tucson, in April, when its 70 degrees out. Always surprised they even took them out doors at all.

[woo me with science]

24. Plus you have to watch all that invalidation over french fries. nt

[Haole Girl]

22. Church, courtroom, police station, mall....

there are so many places to observe people.

Let us know how it turns out.

:hi:

[Flaxbee]

23. gas station / mini mart, or car wash, or laundromat!

We recently moved into a short term rental and I've been going to the laundromat.

People doing 'chores' in public (like getting gas, washing their car, washing their clothes...)

Or maybe a dog park where people get fussy about / are proud of / are obnoxious about their dogs.

Earlier mention of a food court was interesting, too. I was at a food court in a suburb of NYC during a weekday lunch hour - almost no men, but tons of wealthy moms and kids. The men who were there felt a little out of place. It was interesting.

And driving home from there, going through New Jersey, some of the interstate rest stops are fascinating places - large complexes with tons of people milling around.


I'm interested to know what you choose.

[Petrushka]

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