Appendix A: INSTRUCTOR EXEMPTION FOR CLASS PROJECTS Office of Sponsored Programs and Grants Management Radford University Radford, VA 24142-6926 (540) 831-5479 Instructor Title & Name: Dr. Jeffery E. Aspelmeier, Associate Professor Department: Psychology Campus Address: 6946 Course Title: Research in Psych I Course Number: PSYC 201 Email (REQUIRED): [email protected] Telephone: 5520 1. NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 12 See attached list 2. DESCRIPTION OF CLASS ASSIGNMENT AS PRESENTED TO STUDENTS The present study will be a field observation of cell phone use behavior. The target population will include any person on the Radford University campus during the hours of data collection. The purpose of this class project is to assess the influence gender, traveling in a group, and time of day impact frequency counts of cell phone use. A complete description of the data collection procedures is attached. Note: as this project constitutes unobtrusive observation of public behavior informed consent will not be solicited. 3. DESCRIPTION OF PROCEDURES FOR MAINTAINING CONFIDENTIALITY: Researchers will unobtrusively record publicly observable behavior. No identifying information will be recorded or solicited. Neither video nor audio tapes will be made during the field observations. Instructor's Signature: ___________________________ Date: ________________ Submit form to the address above. Your Signature indicates that you have read the Section “Class Projects Exemption” of the RU Guidelines document (insert RU weblink) and that you accept responsibility for the assigned class projects conducted by the students of this course. It further attests that you are fully aware of all the procedures to be followed, will monitor the research, and will notify the IRB of any significant PROBLEMS that arise.PSYC 201, Section 03, Student Roster Instructor: Jeff Aspelmeier Boutwell Emily C 696508 [email protected] Broyles Matthew D 636178 [email protected] Burchfield Andrea N 659530 [email protected] Davis Casey L 706635 [email protected] Greene Lee W 693769 [email protected] Keen Amber M 707851 [email protected] Leonette Jenna D 711226 [email protected] Quinones Sharon R 707172 [email protected] Storey Amanda L 676030 [email protected] Thornton Kari M 686706 [email protected] Walters Allison L 670566 [email protected] Woodyard Staci M 690880 [email protected] Study Experiment Protocol The purpose of this project is to give you experience collecting real data and then running analyses on that data. We are going to observe various locations on campus to determine what effect, if any, factors such as gender, group size, and time of day have on peoples’ use of cellular telephones. Please carefully read and become very familiar with the procedures outlined below. I. Before the experiment-familiarize yourself with the instructions, and make sure all materials are on hand: Coding Sheets (at least 3), Experiment Protocol, working writing utensils (at least 3), a working watch (calibrated at best as possible to the RU clock), and a clipboard or solid writing surface. II. Arrive at your observation location early (5-10 minutes). Record your vantage point. Get comfortable. III. Observation Procedures 1. Record your exact location and vantage point (e.g. Heth Plaza - facing Peters hall-back to clock) and the mark by which you will be recording observations (e.g. as they pass between the green trashcan at the end of the benches and the clock tower). 2. Record the date and day of the week on which you are making your observations. i. Should you have to leave and come back, return to the exact location and vantage point you were at previously. Start a new data sheet with the new date and day. 3. For each observation, record the necessary data on the data sheet, if people pass while you are recording, do not record them. Try to focus on making accurate records for each observation. Once you are done recording the data for a given observation and are ready to observe, the next person(s) to pass your observation mark will constitute your next observation. 4. Recording Gender - use the culturally defined rules for external appearance to ID gender. If you really can’t be sure, then indicated this in the notes column for that observation. 5. Recording Group - For a given observation, the first person to pass your observation mark is your target. A target is considered a member of a group (3+ persons) or pair (2 people) if they are traveling in the same direction and clearly walking in close proximity (within 2 feet) at a clearly matched pace for more than 5 seconds. If they are speaking to one another and traveling in the same direction then code them as a group or pair i. If the target is clearly alone (no one else around), then record it as alone. ii. If the target is close to someone, but they are not within 2 feet (eyeballed) or traveling in the same direction, then code it at alone (1) iii. If they meet the pair criteria described above, then code as a pair (2) iv. If they meet the group criteria described above, then code as a group (3) v. If you are not sure, then code as unsure (4) 6. Recording Group Size - If subject is coded as a group or as unsure, record the group size. How many people make up the group or are in the immediate proximity and seem to be traveling together. (if you are not sure then proved your best estimate of the group size and put a question-mark by the number.) 7. Recording Cell Phone use - If the target person does not have a cell phone in hand, or ear-peace obviously in use (talking to self), then code as no use. If they are clearly talking on cell phone, in hand or hands free, then code as talking. If they are paying attention to their cell phone (e.g. pushing buttons, reading the screen, any manipulation without talking on it), then code it at manipulating. If you are not sure, then record this in the notes.8. Recording Time and Time Code - During the session record the time, save your time code recordings until after data collection for that day is complete (e.g. don’t waist your time on it now, unless things are really dead and there is no one coming by). Record the time in hour, min, and sec if possible (e.g. 2:57.10). Later code the time as one of the 8 time code categories, as follows: 1= 30->20 min prior to the start of class 2= 20->10 min prior to the