Problem:
1. Design a true experiment to determine whether alcohol (or other drug) consumption leads to increased violent attitudes or actions. Describe how the design incorporates the three components of experiments (experimental/control group, random assignment, assessment of change). Evaluate how well the design meets the criteria for identifying causality. What are the ethical issues you face in this experiment? Need Assignment Help?
Make sure to reference AI if it was used by referencing the source and year. For example: (OpenAI, 2026, or ChatGPT, 2026).
2. Observational Research: Public Space Behavior & Social Order
Conduct a structured, non-intrusive observation of a public space to analyze how social order is created, maintained, or disrupted. Complete observational research: document behavioral patterns, environmental cues, and indicators of informal social control using descriptive field notes, analytic field notes, and a behavioral coding sheet.
Step 1: Select Observation Site
Choose one public space where people can be observed ethically and without interaction. Appropriate sites may include a campus quad or courtyard, library common area, bus stop or transit station, park, recreational field, coffee shop with open seating, grocery store entrance or checkout line, public plaza, or pedestrian corridor. The site must allow public behavior to be observed without recording identifiable personal information.
Step 2: Conduct Observation
Observe for a minimum of 30 continuous minutes.
Optional: conduct two sessions at different times of day for comparison.
Remain stationary, non-intrusive, and aware of surroundings.
Do not interact with, follow, confront, correct, or question anyone being observed.
Do not record conversations, audio, or video.
Do not observe in private, restricted, or unsafe spaces.
Leave immediately if the setting feels unsafe.
Step 3: What to Observe
Norm compliance: proper trash disposal, following posted rules, queue formation, respect for personal space.
Rule-breaking or disorder indicators: loud or disruptive behavior, vandalism or graffiti, loitering in restricted areas, unauthorized vending or solicitation.
Informal social control: bystander correction, staff intervention, nonverbal cues, group members regulating one another.
Spatial behavior: territoriality, avoidance patterns, clustering versus dispersal, movement flow.
Environmental cues: signage, cameras or mirrors, lighting quality, cleanliness, maintenance, and layout.
Step 4: Field Notes and Coding Sheet
Descriptive field notes: Provide an objective, chronological record of what happened without interpretation or assumptions. Example: "At 10:14 AM, a student placed a backpack on two chairs to reserve them."
Analytic field notes: Interpret patterns and connect behaviors to theory. Example: "This may indicate territorial behavior in a crowded environment."
Behavioral coding sheet: Include a table or checklist that records the behavior observed, time, frequency count, duration if relevant, environmental conditions, and whether informal social control was present or absent.
Step 5: Data Elements to Track
Approximate number of people present.
Time of day and length of observation.
Environmental conditions, including lighting, noise, signage, layout, and cleanliness.
Frequency counts, such as the number of rule-breaking incidents.
Duration, such as how long a disruption continues before correction.
Presence or absence of informal social control.
Step 6: Analysis Requirements
Norm breakdown: Explain under what conditions norms weaken and how crowding, anonymity, unclear rules, or environmental design may affect behavior.
Informal social control: Identify who enforces norms, what forms of correction appear, and whether those interventions are effective.
Environmental design: Analyze how layout, signage, lighting, surveillance, or maintenance shapes behavior.
Social cohesion: Discuss helping behaviors, group clustering, shared use of space, or avoidance patterns.
Step 7: Theoretical Connections
In the report, connect observations to at least two theories. Recommended theories include Broken Windows Theory, environmental criminology, Routine Activities Theory, social disorganization, behavior setting theory, and proxemics/spatial behavior. Deterrence Theory and Strain Theory may be used only when clearly relevant to the observed setting and behaviors.
Ethical and Safety Guidelines
Observe only public behavior.
Do not collect names, photos of people, license plates, conversations, addresses, or any identifying details.
Do not record faces, private interactions, or private property.
Do not interfere with, confront, or correct anyone's behavior.
Do not place yourself or others in unsafe situations.
If taking an optional site photo, the photo may show the general physical layout only; it may not include people, faces, license plates, addresses, or business/private identifiers.
Submission Components
- Descriptive field notes.
- Analytic field notes.
- Behavioral coding sheet or table.
- Short analysis summary connecting observations to theory and social order.
- Reflection on environmental design and safety/ethics.
- Optional: photo of the general site layout only, with no people or identifying features.