What Ya Lookin’ At, Essay Example

Step 1

Following the instructions, I have picked a comparatively busy crowded place to conduct the project. I have considered Wal-Mart Supercenter located on 591 Joseph Drive to be a good place as far as the corridors of this shopping place are constantly filled with a steady flow of people walk in the same direction and paying little attention to what is going on around them. Taking into consideration the size of the mall, I decided to avoid talking to the managers as I was unlikely to be questioned or stopped.

Step 2

To succeed in the task, I invited two friends of mine to take part in the project. I was a constant observer, who took notes, applied calculations, and watched the process to run smoothly. In order for me not to be located or spotted by people walking by the confederate(s), I occupied a bench right near one of the jewelry shops. People, who passed by paid no attention to a person sitting and taking notes and at the same time, were not able to realize that the confederate was working with me. The situation did not change when another confederate joined the project.

Step 3

The first confederate walked to the center of the busy corridor and looked up to stare at an empty spot on the wall. This particular side of the wall had no advertisement, windows, or doors. I asked the confederates to imagine an object so that it would be easier for them to stay still and look at an empty wall for 10 minutes. Being an observer, I have set an alarm for both confederates to keep track of the time. The confederates were given specific instructions on what they were supposed to answer in case anyone approaches or tries to start a conversation.

Results

-One confederate

The exercise was commenced with one confederate positioned in the middle of the busy corridor of Wal-Mart Supercenter. Though it was Monday, nearly 40 people passed by the confederate during the set 10 minutes. In most cases, people either paid no attention to the confederate or looked at him, while passing by. However, only 6 people actually looked at the wall to see what the confederate was looking at. The people in question did neither stopped nor tried to talk to the confederate. Out of 40 people passing by, 2 people (a man and a woman) noticed the confederate looking at the wall and stopped to question him about his actions. Below is the log of the conversation:

1. (A man approaches the confederate).

• Hey buddy! What the hack are you staring at?
• Hi! Nothing special. Actually, I am just taking part in this experiment for college.
• Good God! They should keep you guys busy with something more important. Good luck anyway!
• Thanks!

1. (A woman approaches the confederate).

• Are you OK?
• Yes, Ma’am. I am fine.

(A woman looks at the wall, then looks at the confederate, shakes her head and walks away)

-Two confederates

After the first part of the experiment with the first confederate was completed and the alarm went off, the confederate left and came back with another confederate 15 minutes later. During the next 10 minutes, 30 people passed by and 7 people looked at the wall without stopping. It seemed that when the two confederates were taking part in the project, people were more interested in what was going on. As a result, 5 people actually stopped near the two confederates and asked them what they were looking at. The confederates replied that they were taking part in a sociology project and people left.

Conclusion

This exercise has shown that there is “chain reaction” among people, when they tend to imitate certain actions of others. In our case, the wall of a supermarket was definitely an uninteresting object, which could not grasp attention of so many people passing by. It was the confederate staring at one spot who made it somewhat attractive. In fact, the number of strangers who looked at the wall was directly proportional to the number of confederates staring at it. During the first part of the experiment, 8 people out of 40 glanced at an imaginary spot and only 2 of them actually asked what the confederate was looking at. During the second part of the experiment, the number of interested strangers increased progressively: 12 people out of 30 looked at the wall and 5 of them were interested in what was going on. Comparing the ratios obtained during both parts of the experiments, I have calculated that 20 % and 40 % of people looked at the wall respectively. The percentage of people interested in the imaginary spot was definitely higher during the second part of the experiment. Therefore, I can assert that the number of confederates was the key factor in rising interest of people passing by. According to S. Milgram, L. Bickman and L. Berkowitz, “an individual may doubt their own actions, so they rely on the actions of the group to determine their own course of action,” (The Layman’s Guide on Psychology). In our case, people believed that the confederates were looking at something specific that could grasp their attention.

Works Cited

The Layman’s Guide on Psychology. 2009. Two’s Company, Three’s Crowd. July 10, 2009. <http:/ /www.laymanpsych.com/?p=3>.