ProcedureandMaterials

WerandomlyselectedpedestriansonNewburySt.inBoston.Alargepieceofplywood
andtwoidenticalmapswereusedwhenperformingourexperiment.Anexperimenter(A)
approachesasubjectandasksthemtoillustrateonthemapdirectionstoawellknownlocation.
Asthisoccursanotherexperimenter(B)walksbetweenthesubjectandexperimenterAwiththe
largepieceofplywoodobstructingtheirviewofeachother.Behindtheplywood,unknowntothe
subject,experimenterAswitcheswiththethirdexperimenter(C)whocarriesanidenticalmap.
OnceexperimenterBmovesonwithexperimenterAhiddenbehindtheplywoodexperimenterC
resumestheconversationwiththesubjectandattemptstomakeitseemasiftheyarethesame
personasexperimenterA.Withthisstudywearetestingwhetherornot,whenexperimentersA
andCswitch(theindependentvariable),thesubjectnotices(thedependentvariable)and
whethertheybringthisupinconversation.ExperimenterCwillmeasurethisvariableby
observingwhetherornotthesubjectseemstonoticethechangeinadditiontowhetherornot
theyexplicitlybringthisupduringtheconversation(operationaldefinition).
DesignandMeasurement
Thisisanobservationalstudy.Whileperformingtheexperiment,experimenterCisgoing
toobserveifatestsubjectfirstnoticesthechangeinperson,andsecondiftheybringitupwithin
theconversation.Wearetestingtheirabilitytorememberthefacebeforetheswitch,and
blockingtheirviewofthepersontheyareinitiallygivingdirections,andthenrememberthat,and
noticethedifferentperson.Byblockingtheviewofthetestsubject,weareblockingtheirabilityto
seeslowmovingmotioncuestokeyustopayattentiontochanges,andthereforepossibilityof
notnoticingachangeinperson.Usexperimentershavetoinferiftheyactuallynoticeachange,
especiallyiftheydonotsayanything.Theymustshowsomefacialexpressionorgesture
suggestingtheynoticed.Itispossibletheydonthavelargeenoughreactionforustoevenpick
uponthattheydidnotice,sowehavetowatchcarefullytheirreactionandwhattheysay.
Thecontrolsinthetheexperimentisthemapswillbeidentical,andtheplywoodwillbe
heldinthesamemannereachtime,walkingbetween,blockingtheviewoftheexperimenterA
andthesubject,andswitchingpeople.Thetestforthechangeispurelybasedonobservationof
thesubjectsreactionandwords.
Wealsohavetoconsiderhowtomeasureourobservations(operationaldefinition).The
firstpartofourresultisobservingiftheynoticeachange.Ourstandardofmeasurementisif
theymakeanygestureorapuzzledlook,oraquestioninglookandarelookingatexperimenter
C.Thisreactionofsomethingsimilarsuggeststheyseeorsuspectthatthepersontheywere
justtalkingtoisdifferent.Thesecondpartisaverbal,whethertheyspecificallybringitupornot.
Wewillwatchoutforconfoundingvariables,suchasdependingonthetimeofday,wemayget
moreofanyoungoroldergroupofpeople,buthopefullyanyconfoundingvariableswillbetaken
careofbytherandomselectionofpeople.
Hypothesis
Ourhypothesisfortheresultsarethatthemajorityofpeoplewillnotnoticethechange
fromexperimenterAtoexperimenterC.