The first thing I did was to sketch out the layout of the train station. This provided an instant overview of the surroundings and was helpful to get a general feel of the place. Whilst doing this I noticed there was a very clear design system in place. On the right hand side of the seating area, people were moving through the barriers towards the platforms and on the left, the railings guided people from the platforms towards the direction of the exits. This is definitely a factor the designers have taken into consideration whilst designing the station as having this system in place helps to minimise congestion.
The next thing that struck me concerned the people themselves as there were people of different age groups, different social backgrounds and from a variety of different cultures.
I sat in a couple of different locations around the train station, and I found I got very different feedback to my observations. From the centre seating area, the station appeared at its busiest. There was an electric atmosphere and it was difficult to know what to observe and which behaviours to ignore. I started off by just looking around and at first glance everyone looked as if they were just rushing on their way, but the more I observed, the more I noticed people’s body language, their facial expressions and the way they were interacting with their surroundings and other people. People appeared to be on edge and seemed stressed, constantly checking their pockets for tickets and looking at watches. One female had her arms tightly crossed, which seemed to indicate that she did not want to communicate with anyone and almost created a barrier between her and the other people close by. I was very aware that the two people on either side of me were very restless and agitated, which indirectly had an affect on my behaviour as I found myself also becoming slightly restless. They seemed to dislike others getting too close to them and moved themselves and their bags frequently. This demonstrates the ways in which other people’s body language can have an unconscious effect on others around them. A further example is when people yawn when aware of another person doing it, or even read about it, or whilst thinking about it. It is an involuntary reaction that comes from our subconscious behaviour.
I then decided to go and sit outside the ticket office. From here I got a good view of the Costa Coffee’ and an adjacent bar. The atmosphere within this area appeared completely different to that of the centre of the station. The people were relaxed and seemed to be at ease in their surroundings. To my immediate left, a couple sat close together. Their body language was obviously intimate and private, as they made lots of eye contact and frequently mirrored each other’s behaviour. This made them seem less aware and therefore less affected by their surroundings.
Several small groups were seated in small clusters nearby. Whilst seated close together, their body language was much more open and casual. They were attending to their conversation but also seemed much more interested and aware of what was going on around them as they chatted. The females in the group showed more emotional expression on their faces as they smiled more than the males. They also played with their hair when they spoke which made them look unsure about whatever they were discussing.
Interestingly, those people who were seated on there own appeared to occupy themselves by playing on their phone or reading a newspaper. On further observation, it was clear that many of them looked rather uncomfortable and even slightly nervous. It could be that having something to engage with or read distracts the person and provides a false sense of security and therefore helps them to feel safe.
Whilst on the train I had noticed an older lady struggling up the centre aisle with a large bag. The train was very busy with no available seats so she stood at the end of the carriage next to the doors. A few minutes later a young boy probably in his mid teens, who was wearing baggy clothes and a baseball cap pulled right down over his face stood up. My initial thought was he looks rather suspect, but then to my surprise he turned to the old lady and offered her his seat. The old lady politely refused and then as he sat back in his seat, bobbing his head to his iPod I noticed the old lady continue to look at him for a few moments with a little smile of what looked like surprise on her face. This was without doubt, my favourite observation of the day as the lady seemed genuinely surprised and touched that this young boy had offered her his seat and this was clearly written all over her face.
I also observed that people sat on the window seats in the carriage but placed their bags on the adjacent seat. It appeared as if they were making a quiet point that they did not want anyone else sitting next to them in their personal space. I found it amazing that this seemed to work as people would look at their bags and walk past looking for a seat rather than ask if they could sit down.
Reflecting on this experience has made me aware of how I felt as I observed others. There were times where I felt a little self-conscious as a few people noticed that I was taking notes whilst observing them. Some people seemed to change their behaviour as a result of being observed which resulted in a feeling of invading the person’s privacy at times. But what I did learn is that observational studies are very useful for recording natural behaviour as it occurs. It provides the opportunity to see many things in everyday life that are usually missed and demonstrates the powerful effect that facial expressions and body language can have on others behaviour. However, it was difficult at times, to decide what to focus on and I found myself distracted by the volume of people around me. I felt that I may have missed certain things as a result. This demonstrates the need for having a clear idea of the behaviour on which the researcher needs to focus.
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