HAND WASHING IN PUBLIC RESTROOMS

Hand Washing in Public Restrooms

Hand Washing in Public Restrooms

Introduction

Hand washing in public restrooms is related to aspects of social psychology or the scientific study of the way in which people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people (Foa, Wilson & Wilson, 2001). Because others are often present in public restrooms, Wicklund's theory of objective self-awareness may be applied. This is created through the presence of others who are presumed by the person to be attending to him.

Many people assume that because an individual is present they are attending to them, like the spotlight effect or that everyone is in a sense watching them (Hersen, 2002). Objective self-awareness involves conformity. In public, people often change their attitudes, beliefs or behaviors so that they conform to and are similar to those people who are present in the same situation (Foa, Wilson & Wilson, 2001). For example, a person might see that everyone forms a line when all bathroom stalls are full when entering a public restroom to wait their turn. Thus they will follow the norm of standing in a line because of objective self-awareness by modeling others' behavior.

Participants

There were eighty subjects in this experimental study. All participants were women over the age of eighteen. Subjects were all of college age (18-24) with the exception of four women. All participants were observed regardless of age, class, or race and represented race/ ethnicity equally to the best of the investigator's knowledge. Convenience sampling was used. There was no recruitment necessary because it was an observational study. Participants were excluded if the principal investigators knew them on a personal level (i.e. family member, friend, roommate, sorority sister) or if the bathroom was overcrowded and all sinks were being used.

Materials

The materials used in our study included paper towels, soap, running water, and a clean and sanitary sink for participants to wash their hands. Cell phones were used to manipulate the study in one level of the independent variable. The investigator pretended to be talking on her cell phone and acted as if she was not paying attention to the participant being observed (Hersen, 2002). A notepad and pen were also used to record observations in a notebook coding the variables of washing or not washing their hands, using soap or not using soap, duration of hand washing, and time of day. The researchers marked on a notepad which dependent variables were relevant to the subject after she exited the restroom.

Design and Procedure

The design used was experimental. The investigators manipulated the environment, a public women's restroom at Friar Tuck's, an uptown bar in New Orleans, Louisiana. The independent variable had two levels. In the first level of the independent variable the investigator talked on her cell phone, avoided eye contact and conversation with the subject as she exited the bathroom stall. In the second level of the independent variable, the investigator washed her hands, made eye contact with the subject, and engaged conversation by ...