Learning practical

Question 1

What is the aim of your learning practical?

Answer 1

To conduct an observation into males and females behaviour on public transport (comparing ‘good manners’ against
‘bad manners’) using a covert, non-participant observation

Question 2

What is the null hypothesis of your learning practical?

Answer 2

Null hypothesis: There will be no difference in the number of polite and rude behaviour seen by males and females
on public transport to and from college during morning and evening rush hour (approximated 20m journeys)

Question 3

What is the alternative hypothesis of your learning practical?

Answer 3

Alternative hypothesis (One-tailed): Males will show more polite and less rude behaviours than females on public
transport to and from college during morning and evening rush hour (approximated 20m journeys).

Question 4

What was the sample of your learning practical? CONTEXT

Answer 4

Sample: Opportunity sampling gathering 100 participants gathered from public transport to and from college during
morning and evening rush hour (approximated 20m journeys).

Question 5

What type of observation did you complete for your learning practical?

Answer 5

Naturalistic, participant, covert

Question 6

How did you collect quantitative data in your learning practical?

Answer 6

We created a coding scheme which identified good manners i.e. putting your bag under your seat, saying excuse me and bad manners i.e. putting your feet on a chair or standing in the way of the doors when people are trying to get one.
We sat on the metro and recorded the number of behaviours we saw in other passengers during rides we tallied the number of behaviours based on a pre-set coding scheme

Question 7

How did you collect qualitative data in your learning practical?

Answer 7

We gathered qualitative data in this study by noting down phrases people were saying when they were talking loudly or making a note on what types of music people were listening too if their headphones were too loud.

Question 8

What was the method of your learning practical?

Answer 8

We created a coding scheme which identified good manners i.e. putting your bag under your seat, saying excuse me and bad manners i.e. putting your feet on a chair or standing in the way of the doors when people are trying to get one.
We piloted the study first to ensure inter-rater reliability and then sat on the metro every morning in pairs for a week keeping track of when males and females showed these behaviours.
We recorded the first behaviour that we saw from our coding scheme and then didn’t count any others to ensure it was nominal data
We sat on the metro and recorded the number of behaviours we saw in other passengers during rides we tallied the number of behaviours based on a pre-set coding scheme

Question 9

How did you analyse the quantitative data from your learning practical?

Answer 9

We calculated the chi squared formula for these results.

Question 10

How did you analyse the qualitative data from your learning practical?

Answer 10

We noted down other qualitative data during the observation and read through the notes looking for themes in the data.
We also identified themes from the qualitative data using a simple thematic analysis.

Question 11

What were the results from your learning practical? (remember that you can make the number up)

Answer 11

The results showed 30 rude males, 20 polite, 16 rude females, 34 polite. We calculated a chi-squared value of 4.68 therefore the results are significant as this value exceeds the critical value of 2.71 p>0.05

Question 12

What did we conclude from our learning practical?

Answer 12

There is a significant difference between males and females and the number of rude manners shown on public transport in rush hour as the calculated value exceeds the critical value at 1 d.f. and p>0.05(x^2 = 4.68, CV = 2.71)

Question 13

AO3: Give two strengths of the sample of your learning practical

Answer 13

Large sample of commuters which increases the generalisability. This makes the results about politeness more
representative of a wider population
* Males and females as we were looking at gender’s impact on rudeness which increases the generalisability. This
makes the results about politeness more representative of a wider population

Question 14

AO3: Give two weaknesses of the sample of your learning practical

Answer 14

thnocentric all from the north east so their politeness is not generalisable. This means their results about rude and
politeness is not generalizable and might not represent a wider population
* Opportunity sampling (on public transport) means they all share characteristics in their polite/rude behaviour so it
isn’t generalisable. This means their results about rude and politeness is not generalizable and might not represent a
wider population

Question 15

AO3: Give two strengths on the reliability of your learning practical.

Answer 15

There was high inter-rater reliability as we completed the observation in pairs and agreed on the rude and polite behaviours. This is
good as we were able to check the results against that of another person to see if we had scored them the same
* Standardised coding scheme- what the rude and polite behaviours were. This makes the study easier to repeat

Question 16

AO3: Give two strengths of the validity of your learning practical

Answer 16

This study has high ecological validity as they were going about their normal morning/evening routine on public
transport. This means the results we gained about politeness and rudeness can be applied to behaviour in everyday
life
* The study is low demand characteristics since covert and the commuters didn’t know we were observing their
positive and negative behaviours. This means that they wouldn’t change their rude/politeness because they knew
they were being studied which makes the results gained more valid.

Question 17

AO3: Give a strength in regards to the ethics in your learning practical

Answer 17

no harm as we simply observed their polite and rude behaviours and didn’t impact on them. This makes the study
ethical as it didn’t break the ethical guideline of harm

Question 18

AO3: Give two weaknesses about the validity of your learning practical

Answer 18

Extraneous variables such as mood and what day they’ve had may effect results more than gender. This means the results about how
gender impacts on politeness might not be valid because it is this other factor which is influencing it
* May miss behaviours when noting things down/only counting the person once (which means if they show a rude
behaviour followed by 2 polite ones, the polite wasn’t counted). This means the results about the
rudeness/politeness might not be accurate as it was incorrectly recorded.

Question 19

AO3: Give two reasons why the learning practical may not have been ethical

Answer 19

No consent was gained from the commuters making it unethical. This is because they didn’t know they were taking part in an observation of their rude and polite behaviours.
* No withdrawal was gained from the commuters making it unethical. This is because they didn’t know they were
taking part in an observation of their rude and polite behaviours so couldn’t opt to have their results removed/not be
observed.