Residential Observation

An Observational Study of Phone Use at an Intersection in a Residential Neighborhood
Question: Do people who stop at neighborhood stop signs use their phones in any way, either prior to stopping or once having stopped?
Hypothesis: People who stop at neighborhood stop signs tend to use their phones in some way.
Stopping will be defined as bringing the vehicle to a complete stop at the stop sign, before driving away again. Neighborhood stop signs will be defined as red octagonal stop signs in residential areas. Using the phone will be defined as: looking at, handling, picking up, talking into, and holding the phone to one’s head.
I have chosen to observe an intersection that is roughly thirty feet from my house. The intersection is visible from the window in my bedroom and can be seen while seated at my desk. I conducted direct observational methods without intervention, therefore using naturalistic observation, a nonexperimental study process whereby behavior is systematically watched and recorded in an attempt to describe that behavior as it naturally occurs (Passer, 2014). For analysis I will be

I had not believed that I went into the study with observer bias, yet I found myself surprised with the number of witnessed phone acts. I had thought there would be more, perhaps as much as half, and therefore without realizing it-I did in fact bring some preconceived notions of mine to the study. Additionally, this study supposes that all drivers have cell phones, or take them when they travel, and that is most likely not the