PSY 217
Lab 1:  Cell Phone Use While Walking
Observational Research

Purpose

This lab is to familiarize you with observational research techniques.  We will be observing cell phone usage while college students walk.  By the end of the lab you should be familiar with:

• Observation techniques and measurement
• Record keeping
• Interobserver reliability
• Pilot study
• Using SPSS for descriptive statistics
• APA style results section

Pre-Lab Preparation

There is no pre-lab preparation.

Background

The National Transportation Safety Board recently recommended a ban on the use of cell phones while driving due to the enhanced risk of accidents.  Informal observations indicate that walking while using a cell phone can also be dangerous.  This observational study will investigate how common it is for pedestrians on a college campus to walk while using their cell phone.

Observation Sheet

The observation sheet is available here.

Data Entry and Retrieval

Use this page to enter your data.  Carefully check your data before submitting it.

You can retrieve the data here.

Assignment

Write an APA style results section for the data collected and analyzed in lab.  The assignment is due at the start of the next class.

Preparation for Lab 2

Read the following article and be prepared to discuss it:

• Jenni, M. A. (1976).  Sex differences in carrying behavior.  Perceptual and Motor Skills, 43, 323-330. doi:10.2466/pms.1976.43.1.323

Note:  The first half page of the above PDF is blank.  Scroll down to see the article.