The Topic Will Depend on the Choice of Problem statement

Project Outline

Outline for the Project:I. Initial Problem Statement of the Problem:
Explain the problem behavior. Convince the reader this behavior needs
to be studied. Give examples from life. Remember, do not use personal
pronouns (I, me, my). If you would like an A or B on your project add
information from professional, scholarly research and site your
reference using APA style documentation. In order to locate
professional, scholarly research go to the CTC library online database,
type in your topic, and click peer reviewed. Theory:
This is a prediction. What do you expect to observe. The theory is a
general statement. For example, most males or females do not wash their
hands after using the restroom. Most people will not pick up after
themselves after eating in a public place. Hypothesis:
The hypothesis must be written in such a way as to test the theory. A
theory is like an umbrella covering behaviors with the presumption that
they are related. A good hypothesis rains on the umbrella to see if
there are any holes. For example, between the hours of 11:00 and 1:00 on
Monday and Wednesday at McDonald’s most patrons (or males, females,
adolescents) will not place their napkins, cups, plates, and eating
utensils in the trash and return their tray to the rack. Procedure:
This is a description of the step-by-step process used during the
observation. Where did the observer sit? Was the observer visible to the
subject being observed? How was data collected? The description needs
to be written in sufficient detail that someone else could attempt to
replicate (repeat) the procedure to determine if the same results could
be obtained. Results: The results are given in the form
of numbers. This is the count. It is often presented in complex
statistical terms. A numerical count and percentages will be sufficient
for our purposes. An A or B level paper will add a graph or chart with
well defined axses. Discussion: This is a summary of
the results in simpler, more practice language. The numbers are
converted to statements of meaning and application. Include discussion
of strengths and weaknesses of the research. Example: During the
observation of eye contact while walking across campus a hail storm
suddenly interrupted the study.II. Change of Behavior Statement of the Problem:
In this section refer back to your own research. Example: Previous
research has demonstrated that over 50% of males and 40% of females do
not wash their hands after using the restroom. The possibility for
spreading bacteria is significant. Theory: This is the
new prediction. Example: People you believe they are being observed
will be more likely to wash their hands after using the restroom. Hypothesis:
Write a statement which predicts and tests the theory. This takes
operational definitions. Example: If an observer holding a clip board
and recording behaviors is standing next to the sink in the restroom
subjects will tend to wash their hands. Procedure:
This is a detailed description of how the observation was carried out.
Example: The observer stood by the sink in the female restroom on Monday
and Wednesday between the hours of 12:00 and 1:00 holding a clip board,
pencil, and a stop watch. As subjects left the stalls she looked
intently at each subject, began to write on the clip board, and turned
on the stop watch when hand washing was initiated. Results:
Once again these are the numbers, the count, in paragraph form. Better
papers include percentages. A and B project add graphs or charts, but do
not omit the paragraph information. Discussion: The
section explains the entire research project. Cite your numbers and
explain them. Add strengths and weaknesses of the study. At this point
all good research should produce questions in the mind of the researcher
which have never been considered before. Discuss possible new lines of
research to answer these questions. References: The
last page must contain the references cited in the first Statement of
the Problem. Uses APA style documentation. Dr. Kalat uses APA in your
textbook. Notice how he refers to a source within the context of the
chapter by using (last name, year of publication). At the end of your
text book he cites the complete reference. Look at the pattern he uses
for a guide.Go to the link containing the scoring rubric and check
to be certain that you have included all the points upon which your
project will be scored.

Section 1: Naturalistic Observation

Write a theory and hypothesis, explain the procedure you will use to
determine if the theory and hypothesis are supported, give the result or
the count, and finally, discuss your results or findings.The first half
of your research will be a naturalistic observation. You will be
determining the baseline of behavior, or what the behavior looks like,
or the amount of the behavior present under normal circumstances. The
observer is unobtrusive, rather like the wallpaper. There is no
interference with the behavior.

You are to select a human
behavior. Discuss the problem surrounding this behavior. The following
is a list of topics which have been used in the past. You may select
from the list or develop one of your own. Select a behavior which you
encounter each day. The greatest challenge is isolating or narrowing the
behavior to a single event which you can define, count, and attempt to
change or observe as changed in a different environment.

• Eye contact
• Hand washing
• Door opening for others
• Money on the ground
• Cleaning off the table after you eat in a fast food restaurant
• Response time of clerks when the researcher dresses poorly or nicely
• Tips – restaurant, beauty salon, etc.
• Helpful behavior when toilet paper is attached to the researchers shoe in a public place
• Hand waving when driving down a country road
• Changing television stations in a public waiting room
• Products purchased from shelves of different height
• Color of products purchased
• Seating behaviors in school cafeteria or restaurant
• Stop light running
• Use of cell phones in school areas
• Use of cell phones while driving
• Purchasing one item or the “full meal deal” at a fast food restaurant
• Human responses to walking dogs of different sizes or breeds
• Human response to “Don’t walk on the grass!” signs
• Driver behavior while waiting on a stop light (make-up, hair combing using rear view mirror)
• Assistance reaching items from the top shelf
• Dropping a dollar while walking through Walmart…will someone return the dollar? (Can be an expensive project.)
• Returning shopping carts to the proper areas
• Smiling or waving “thank you” when a car stops to allow shoppers to cross in the parking lot
• Behavior in the check-out line: smiling, conversation…
• The behavior of children in the check-out line (pulling things from shelves, yelling, smiling, climbing out of cart….)
• Behavior of children in a classroom (talking, out of seat, interrupting, turning in homework….)

DO NOT :

• Place a baby carrier on top of a car and drive around the mall parking lot to see if someone will attempt to stop you
• Stop your car by the side of the road to see if someone might stop and assist
• Attempt a tail gating experiment of any kind
• Select any behavior which might be harmful, socially offensive, or immoral

Section 2: Experiment

The second half of the project will be a type of experiment. By introducing a variable,
you will attempt to increase or decrease a behavior. For example, one
student in Iraq counted the number of men who failed to wash their hands
after using the latrine next to the dining facility. This student’s
count suggested a problem. During the behavior change section of the
project, the student placed honey (the independent variable) on the
handles of the doors. As a result, hand washing (the dependent variable)
increased.

Your project will require you to walk through the
same steps again, but from the point of view of changing or improving
the behavior. Begin with your own results. That is the statement of the
problem. You have counted and found that, yes, this is an area of human
behavior which should be improved. APA documentation style
must be used when citing references in context and references at the
end of your project. Your textbook may be your only reference.