Assignment 9 - Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Assignment 9 - Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Who: After conducting my interviews, I did find there are certain people that, although they share a lot in common with others in my opportunity, still fall outside of the boundary. The first of these people are college students that do not go to the University of Florida. I interviewed two college students who attend Broward College. They do not have the need for a portable chair because seating is widely available both outside and inside of the classrooms on campus. Their school does not face the same seat-to-student issue that I find here at the University of Florida in classrooms and libraries. I also spoke to an older individual who spends a fair amount of time outside and has a bad back. I was sure that they, with their bad back, would surely see the need for a portable chair. They, however, said they did not desire the product. They prefer to either stand or sit in the grass.

What: I recall in an interview from an earlier assignment that one interviewee identified the need for seating not to be a caused by a lack of chairs, but rather understaffing by the university. Additionally, one of the reasons I identified the problem was because of back pain I was experiencing from sitting on the ground. After speaking with an interviewee that also experiences back pain, I realized that the cause of my pain could be rooted in bad posture or poor lifting form and not from sitting on the ground.

Why: The underlying cause of the outsiders’ need is different than people who are inside the boundary. For example, some people would want the chair because they experience back pain and need a chair readily available to relieve them of their pain while they are out and about as opposed to a lack of available seating.



Inside the Boundary

Outside the Boundary
Who is In
Students, sports fans, those who wait in line for event tickets, and outdoor enthusiasts
Who is Not
Those who are not enrolled in a crowded college course, those who are fine with sitting on the ground, and those who are active and prefer to stand
What the Need Is
A need for available seating where there is none
What the Need Is Not
This is not a solution to the problem of overcrowding or understaffing in colleges. This is not a solution to one’s back pain either.
Why the Need Exists
It exists in an academic setting because of the structure of a course, overcrowding, or understaffing. In other settings it exists because traditional seating is not available.
Alternative Explanations
Some colleges do not have a problem with available seating, some individuals are active and do not  want a place to sit down, some people have identified they need medical assistance with their back and not a chair.

Comments

  1. Alexander,

    Nice job with your testing the hypothesis. I really like how you distinguished the two unmet needs of needing a portable chair (lack of seating vs back pain). For me personally, I would probably use the portable chair more for back pain. I think you also did a good job identifying which “who’s” are in the boundary and those that are not. It makes sense that smaller colleges would probably have better seating than bigger universities. I would assume high schools probably also have good seating in the classrooms but maybe not at their football fields.

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