Does anyone have some ideas for good social experiments a sociology student could do?

Question

I need to do domething that is not a social norm that will make people stand back and me seem wierd. Like for instnce going around and playing tag with everyone without them knowing it.

Answer 1

Go to the school library. Find someone you don't know and sit at their table, right across from them, and start to study like you have done nothing out of the ordinary. Don't ask for permission, or if the seat is taken. Just sit down and start studying. See what kind of reaction you get.

Answer 2

Social Experiment Ideas

Answer 3

Sociology Experiments

Answer 4

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RE:
Does anyone have some ideas for good social experiments a sociology student could do?
I need to do domething that is not a social norm that will make people stand back and me seem wierd. Like for instnce going around and playing tag with everyone without them knowing it.

Answer 5

Things that were once perceived as "weird" are now accepted as normal, in today's society.

So... to achieve the goal of seeming weird, may be a bit difficult.

But, to do something that will make people stand back... that's simple. Try the following, and see what happens:

Go from person to person (in any environment that YOU feel comfortable in), and tell everyone that you're working with a network marketing company, and you've selected them to join your team. Tell them that they may "potentially" achieve the goal of becoming a millionaire if they'll just recruit 5 of their friends into the business. Then, pull out a piece of paper and start drawing a bunch of circles. And when asked what company you represent, don't answer the question. Just tell them there's a meeting they should come to next Thursday night, and all their questions will be answered then.

Answer 6

Usually, really simple things work best.

For example, enter an elevator and instead of turning around facing the door, face everyone inside. Do the same with an escalator. Go up to a stranger in a food court, and ask if you can have a bite of their sandwich (don't say "I'm really hungry" or anything like that, just ask for a bite). How about going through a drive-through by reversing your car? Walk backwards through a shopping mall.

Another one I heard of some people doing was going to a pedestrian mall, and setting up a picnic in the middle. When the police came to move them on, they pretended to be foreign and did not understand. The funny thing was the police went from not being understanding, to being understanding.

Answer 7

a) I read in a book that B.F. Skinner (a social scientist) liked doing social experiment gags. One which I remember is: (this works better if you have a couple of friends along, and also in on the gag) go to the middle of a busy sidewalk (or somewhat busy area) and look up as though there is something of interest up there. Then have a friend or two walk along, pretending to be normal pedestrians, and join you in looking at the "amazing thing up there" (there isn't really anything up there). You and they keep looking up; believe "it" is up there, and act as though you believe it and supposedly people that are not part of your experiment will start looking up and trying to see what it is. In theory, you'll end up with a group of people all trying to see what it is that everyone is looking at, which is really just what they think everyone else is looking at. You could test for what sort of people join the group, and how many knowing participants (ie: your friends) you need to get the whole thing starting.
b) I read on the news here a couple of months ago that some kids (high school students) in Ottawa, ON, tried the social experiment of staging a kidnapping, using some of their group to drive the van and "kidnap," and one of their group members to pretend to be "kidnapped" by them, to see what kind of reactions they got. Unfortunately for them, some people in the neighborhood were so convinced by the whole thing that they called the police on them. They didn't get in much trouble in the end (once the police found out they were just doing an experiment and no one actually got kidnapped by anyone), but they got arrested at gunpoint. So, this isn't a particularly recommendable experiment.

Answer 8

You could walk around with a sock attatched to the back of your shirt (static cling) and observe peoples' reactions. Observe how many people just look and laugh, and how may mention it to you. You could also do this with a 6-foot toilet paper streamer stuck to your shoe.

If you are a guy, try going our with mascara on your eyelashes. Observe how people treat you. If you are a girl, try stuffing your bra with waterballoons. See how people treat you. Drop your purse and see how many guys pick it up for you.

You could walk around and talk to yourself, or talk to an imaginary friend. Introduce your friend to other people, and insist that they acknowledge your friend. See how many people humor you and talk to your friend, and how many people brush you off as delusional.

You could put on dirty clothes and panhandle with a soup can in a busy suburban area, where you wouldn't expect to see panhandlers. See how many people turn away in disgust, or donate their pocket change.

Another idea you could try is to get a friend to stage a lover's quarrel with you at a mall. Make it loud, obnoxious, and Jerry Springer-style "Whateva! You don't KNOW me!" See if you can draw a crowd, or if anyone will come to the aid of one of you two. When you are finished with your "fight," hug and makeup, turn to the crowd, and bow, wave, and say "Thank you, no applause please!"

For all experiments, you should have a third party with a video camera somewhere nearby, recording your performance as well as the reactions of passerbys and spectators. That is a way you could gather data to write a report of your findings, and also proof of your effort. Plus, it would be fun to add in as a visual aid to a presentation for the assignment.

Answer 9

A professor in one of my classes assigned this for the men in the class:

When in a public restroom, go to the urinal directly next to one that's being used already. If there's a choice between going to the urinal to the left or to the right of the one that's being used, go to the one that is closest to the door (so they in turn, have to pass you to leave). Not only that, but while midstream, turn to the guy next to you and with a friendly smile say "Hi." Obviously, do this experiment at your own risk.

Not sure if it's something close to what you may be looking for, but it's a fun one.

Answer 10

How about something on the 3rd wheel syndrome. On groups of three. If you see groups of three. See if you notice if someone always feels left out in the group. Which i'm 99.9% for sure that someone is always feeling left out no matte what social group setting they are in. Wether they are in a group of 3 or more.