Lesson 4 Assignment - Student Instructions

This assignment is an observational study. Choose a local retailer - it could be local coffee shop, restaurant, grocery store, department store, etc. You must have a minimum of 5 observations. The data is based only on observation not on any interaction.

Choose one of the following characteristics to observe in the people shopping.

• Gender - e.g., "Compare the behaviors of men shopping alone for groceries with those of women shopping alone," or "Compare the behaviors of preadolescent boys shopping with their parents (or an adult) with those of preadolescent girls."

• Subject's age - e.g., "Compare the shopping behaviors of senior citizen couples with those of young couples," or "Observe the behaviors of teenage boys and girls shopping without a parent."

• Product - e.g., "Observe coffee purchases in convenience stores or coffee shops," or "Observe the purchase of impulse items at the point of check out ranging from the campus bookstore to a local sandwich shop."

• Any pertinent variable - e.g., Store type or the racial/ethnic/cultural affiliation of the shopper.

Write a 2 - 4 page paper that compiles the results and discusses their implications. Apply concepts from the lesson to your analysis.