Conformity

Homework Assignment #3
Social Interaction experiment.

Goal: To test how individuals interact with one another in a public setting.

Plan: The observation of how individual strangers act towards someone that needs help in a busy fast pace environment.

Execution: Ferris and I went into Union Square to see if we could get 1 or 2 people at a time to give us directions to the NJ path train. Paying close attention to the hand movements of the individuals as they explained directions to us. The exercise proved to be a little challenging in the fact that in New York no one cares to stop and talk to you if you possibly need help. None the less we were successful in finding some nice individuals that want to help.

Findings: Some individuals were nice and tried their best to give directions to both of us. Some individuals were honest when I asked them if they think the NJ path is located on W14th and 6th ave. Others would not even bother to stop and help they would just look at you like you are from another world and keep on walking. Choosing the Nonverbal communication as their point of interaction with us.

The first idea was to have me lying down on the ground in the middle 14St Union square acting like I was hurt or sick.
This experiment didn't last to long. A lot of people just did not care enough to stop. Instead they looked at me and kept on going.
That tells me individuals are more reluctant to help out an individual who is in need of help in the busy streets of New York. So that experiment got canceled.