A sociologist conducted an observational study to investigate how commuters react to personal space intrusion on a busy metropolitan subway line during peak transit hours.
To carry out the investigation, the sociologist obtained official permission from the transit network authority to view and analyse high-definition security camera recordings from a single subway carriage over a three-hour period. The passengers were entirely unaware that their non-verbal reactions and spatial adjustments were being recorded and evaluated for academic research.
Table 1: Commuter reactions to personal space intrusion
| Reacts by putting on headphones | Avoids eye contact / stares away | Moves to a different seat/carriage | Verbally objects | Sighs or tuts audibly | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 112 | 78 | 35 | 5 | 20 | 250 |
Evaluate the use of covert observation in this study.
201 exam-style questions on OCR A Level Psychology Planning and conducting research. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.