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Stop Signs: Are People More Likely to

Stop When They Know Someone is


Watching?
Analytical Report

Katherine Sasser
AP Statistics
Kiker
7th Period
2014-2015

Through the collection of data in a residental neighborhood to find the


proportion of drivers that stop at stop signs when someone is looking, and
nobody is around, there will be a conclusion answering the question of if
suggested traffic cameras to enforce traffic laws will be effective. The results
of this study will not only provide information to concerned neighbors of the
residental area but can also extend further out to local and national
governments regarding the saftey of society.

Table of Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
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Cover Page
Table of Contents
Analytical Report
Analytical Report
Analytical Report
Analytical Report
Works Cited
Appendices
Appendices
Website Link
Revised Inquiry Pitch
Revised Inquiry Pitch
Revised Inquiry Pitch
Original Inquiry Pitch
Origional Inquiry Pitch

How many times have you blown through a stop sign when you
thought someone was
watching? Would you have come to a complete stop if you thought someone
was? This question
has come to emerge in governments nationwide. Washington DC is trying to
double the number
of traffic cameras in the city, and citizens are not thrilled. The thought of
being watched and
unknowingly ticketed does not excite drivers (The Huffington Post). Will the
installation of cameras be effective and if they are, will this spread to Austin?
With this study, the answer to this question will be found; are drivers more
likely to stop at a stop sign if they know someone is watching? This conflict
has recently come to light in local neighborhoods. There are always children
outside playing or riding bikes and the neighborhood parents are up in arms
trying to enforce the rules of the stop sign. There is a movement to get traffic
cameras installed in major intersections in hope that drivers would become
more conscience of their dangerous driving habits. As an active member of
the neighborhood, this question is seen to be one of great contingency. With
this data, there is hope to be able to provide some insight into the conflict.
As this conflict directly affects many people of the community, the data will
be collected from a randomly selected intersection in the neighborhood.
Major intersections with four way stops will be assigned a number and
through a random number generator, an intersection will be randomly
3

selected. To begin, an adequate spot that is out of sight will be found to


collect the proportion of drivers that stop at a stop sign while no one seems
to be watching. (i) A possible problem with this experiment is the presence of
someone watching the drivers when they arrive at the stop sign at the time
when data for proportion of people that stop when nobody is watching is
being collected. During the collection of data for the proportion of drivers
who stopped when no one was watching, if there was another pedestrian or
driver at the intersection, that individual driver was not included in the
collection as there was someone present at the stop sign allowing the driver
to believe that someone was watching.

This is one potential confounding

variable but through project design, the omission of drivers who have other
people at the intersection, it should be eliminated.
After observing 30 drivers stopping at the stop sign, emerging from the
stealthy data collecting spot will occur and the treatment will be applied. The
treatment is having a person present and observing their driving habits. This
will consist of the data collector, along with two children. They will appear to
be standing on the corner or waiting for someone there. This position will
remain constant for all data collection. Then, data will be collected for the
proportion of people that stop at a stop sign while they know someone is
watching. By standing on the sidewalk on the side of the road, study
participants present no danger to the subjects or themselves in the
treatment while still being able to effectively inflict a treatment that is
consistent through the entire data collection period (ii).
4

A two proportion t test will be run. This is the chosen measure of


statistical inference because it will provide a means of finding if the two
proportions are equal to each other or if one is greater. The two proportions
being compared is the true population proportion of people who stop when
no one is watching, and the other is the true population proportion of people
who stop when someone is watching. The null hypothesis is that there is no
difference in the true population proportion of people who stop at a stop sign
when nobody is watching and the true population proportion of people who
stop when someone is watching. The alternative hypothesis is that the true
population proportion of people who stop at a stop sign when someone is
watching is greater than the true population proportion of people who stop
when no one is watching. Because the two proportions are independent, we
can use a normal approximation.
A two proportion t test will be run which provides a test statistic and a
p value. The alpha level will be .05. From this information we will be able to
make a conclusion. The purpose of this experiment is to find if there is a
significant difference between the two proportions and if there is evidence to
suggest that someone is more likely to stop when there is someone
watching. Both of these questions can be answered by the information given
from this test. After data is collected and a conclusion has been made, there
will be data to help better communities and the safety of its inhabitants.
From randomly selecting an intersection in my neighborhood, collecting
control data, applying the treatment and collecting the data, checking the
5

assumptions and running a hypothesis test, a conclusion will be reached.


While the spectrum of this subject may be small, this is a conflict arising
nationwide. From the results of this experiment, Austinites may have a better
understanding of their driving habits and how to improve their communities.
After collecting the data, 18 out of 30 people fully stopped at the stop
sign when someone was watching and 11 out of 30 people fully stopped
when no one appeared to be watching. This leads to P1 being .6 and P2
being .366. The question is if these two values are significant?
Before running the test, assumptions must be checked. Because N is
greater than 10 times the sample size of 30, we can assume there are more
than 300 people that stop at this stop sign.
Next, the p hat value for P1 must be multiplied by the sample size and be
greater than or equal to 10. This is also done for the q hat value. Repeat
these steps for P2. After completing this and seeing that all the values are
greater than, it is apparent that these assumptions have been met (iii).
Once running the test, a z score of 1.81 and a p value of .03527 are
found. With an alpha of .05, we will reject the null hypothesis that the true
population proportion of people who fully stop at stop signs when someone is
watching is equal to the true population proportion of people who fully stop
when no one appears to be watching. We have evidence to suggest that the
true population proportion of people who fully stop at stop signs when
someone is watching is greater than the true population proportion of people
who fully stop when no one appears to be watching.
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After running a two proportion t test, testing the assumptions, finding a


p value of .0325, and using a alpha level of .05, it can be concluded that
there is a significant difference between the true population proportion of
drivers who stopped at the sign when someone was watching and that of
those who stopped when no one was watching. This means we have
evidence to suggest that people are more likely to stop when someone is
watching. This information can be applied to everyday life and can improve
safety for pedestrians and community members everywhere. Whether it is
installing cameras on intersections and reprimanding drivers for breaking the
law or having a neighborhood watch to enforce traffic laws, this information
can make a difference in government funding and police work. The
integration of cameras will not only give drivers a way to be conscious of
their habits but can help police in ticketing more efficiently.

Works Cited:
Gardinier, Kurt A. "Stop Watching Us: D.C. to More Than Double Traffic Cameras."
T he
.
Huffington Post . TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 5 Apr. 2015.
"Stop Sign Clip Art Free Vector 58.21KB." S top Sign Clip Art Free Vector in Open
Office
.
Drawing Svg ( .svg ) Format Format for Free Download 58.21KB . N.p., n.d.
Web. 15 Apr.
.
2015.

Appendix
i.

ii.

When collecting data for the proportion of drivers who stopped


when no one was watching was collected from inside a car parked
out of immediate sight of the drivers so they were truly under the
impression that nobody was watching.
This is the data collection table used to record drivers behavior.

iii.

Assumptions that must be checked to validate the test conclusion.

10

Website Link:
http://whendoyoustop.weebly.com/

11

Revised Inquiry Pitch:


How many times have you blown through a stop sign when you
thought someone was
watching? Would you have come to a complete stop if you thought someone
was? This question
has come to emerge in governments nationwide. Washington DC is trying to
double the number
of traffic cameras in the city, and citizens are not thrilled. The thought of
being watched and
unknowingly ticketed does not excite drivers (The Huffington Post). Will the
installation of cameras be effective and if they are, will this spread to Austin?
With this study, the answer to this question will be found; are drivers more
likely to stop at a stop sign if they know someone is watching? This conflict
has recently come to light in local neighborhoods. There are always children
outside playing or riding bikes and the neighborhood parents are up in arms
trying to enforce the rules of the stop sign. There is a movement to get traffic
cameras installed in major intersections in hope that drivers would become
more conscience of their dangerous driving habits. As an active member of
the neighborhood, this question is seen to be one of great contingency. With
this data, there is hope to be able to provide some insight into the conflict.
As this conflict directly affects many people of the community, the data will
be collected from a randomly selected intersection in the neighborhood.
Major intersections with four way stops will be assigned a number and
through a random number generator, an intersection will be randomly
12

selected. To begin, an adequate spot that is out of sight will be found to


collect the proportion of drivers that stop at a stop sign while no one seems
to be watching. (i) A possible problem with this experiment is the presence of
someone watching the drivers when they arrive at the stop sign at the time
when data for proportion of people that stop when nobody is watching is
being collected. During the collection of data for the proportion of drivers
who stopped when no one was watching, if there was another pedestrian or
driver at the intersection, that individual driver was not included in the
collection as there was someone present at the stop sign allowing the driver
to believe that someone was watching.

This is one potential confounding

variable but through project design, the omission of drivers who have other
people at the intersection, it should be eliminated.
After observing 30 drivers stopping at the stop sign, emerging from the
stealthy data collecting spot will occur and the treatment will be applied. The
treatment is having a person present and observing their driving habits. This
will consist of the data collector, along with two children. They will appear to
be standing on the corner or waiting for someone there. This position will
remain constant for all data collection. Then, data will be collected for the
proportion of people that stop at a stop sign while they know someone is
watching. By standing on the sidewalk on the side of the road, study
participants present no danger to the subjects or themselves in the
treatment while still being able to effectively inflict a treatment that is
consistent through the entire data collection period(ii).
13

A two proportion t test will be run. This is the chosen measure of


statistical inference because it will provide a means of finding if the two
proportions are equal to each other or if oneis greater. The two proportions
being compared is the true population proportion of people who stop when
no one is watching, and the other is the true population proportion of people
who stop when someone is watching. The null hypothesis is that there is no
difference in the true population proportion of people who stop at a stop sign
when nobody is watching and the true population proportion of people who
stop when someone is watching. The alternative hypothesis is that the true
population proportion of people who stop at a stop sign when someone is
watching is greater than the true population proportion of people who stop
when no one is watching. Because the two proportions are independent, we
can use a normal approximation.
Through this collection of data and conclusion, important information
regarding the safety of individuals in communities can be addressed and
improved.

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Original Inquiry Pitch:

Stop Signs: Are People More Likely to Stop When They Know Someone is Watching?
Inquiry Pitch

Katherine Sasser
AP Statistics
Mr. Kiker
7th Period
4-15-15
2015 School Year
How many times have you blown through a stop sign when you thought someone
was watching? Would you have come to a complete stop if you thought someone
was? This question has come to emerge in governments nationwide. Washington DC
is trying to double the number of traffic cameras in the city, and citizens are not
thrilled. The thought of being watched and unknowingly ticketed does not excite
drivers (Source A). Will the installation of cameras be effective? If Washington DC
finds the system to be effective will it spread to Austin? With this study, we will find
the answer to the question, are drivers more likely to stop at a stop sign if they
know someone is watching. This conflict has recently come to light in my
neighborhood. There are always children outside playing or riding bikes and the
neighborhood parents are up in arms trying to enforce the rules of the stop sign.
There is a movement to get traffic cameras installed in major intersections in hope
that drivers would become more conscience of their dangerous driving habits. As an
active member of my neighborhood, I see this question to be one of great
contingency. With this data, I hope to be able to provide some insight into the
conflict. As this conflict directly affects me in my neighborhood, the data will be
collected from a randomly selected intersection in the neighborhood. Major
intersections with four way stops will be assigned a number and through a random
number generator, an intersection will be randomly selected. To begin, I will find an
adequate spot (out of sight) to collect the proportion of drivers that stop at a stop
sign while no one is watching. After observing 20 or 30 drivers stopping at the stop
sign, I will come out of my stealthy data collecting spot and apply the treatment.
The treatment is having a person present and observing their driving habits (me
along with the kids with me). I will have two or three (how many people is
undecided) kids accompanying me. We will appear to be passing by or waiting for
someone on the corner the exact state of the treatment is undecided but will remain
constant for all data collection. Then collect data for the proportion of people that
stop at a stop sign while they know someone is watching. By standing on the
sidewalk on the side of the road, we present no danger to the subjects or
participants in the treatment while still being able to effectively inflict a treatment.
A hypothesis test will be run. This is my chosen measure of statistical inference
because it will provide a means of finding if there is a significant difference between
the two proportionsproportion of people who stop when no one is watching and
proportion of people who stop when someone is watching. The null hypothesis is
that there is no difference in the true population proportion of people who stop at a
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stop sign when nobody is watching and the true population proportion of people
who stop when someone is watching. The alternative hypothesis is that there is a
difference in the true population proportion of people who stop at a stop sign when
nobody is watching and the true population proportion of people who stop when
someone is watching. Because the two proportions are independent, thus we can
use a normal approximation and we will run a t test which will provide a test
statistic and a p value. From this information we will be able to make a conclusion.
The purpose of this experiment is to find if there is a significant difference between
the two proportions and if there is evidence to suggest that someone is more likely
to stop when there is someone watching? Both of these questions can be answered
by the information given from this test. After data is collected and a conclusion has
been made, I will have data to help better my neighborhood and the safety of its
inhabitants. From randomly selecting an intersection in my neighborhood, collecting
control data, applying the treatment and collecting that data, checking the
assumptions and running a hypothesis test, I will be able to reach a conclusion.
While the spectrum of this subject may be small, this is a conflict arising nationwide.
From the results of this experiment, austinites may have a better understanding of
their driving habits and how to improve their communities.

Works Cited:
Source A:
Gardinier, Kurt A. "Stop Watching Us: D.C. to More Than Double Traffic Cameras."
The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 5 Apr. 2015.
Source B:
"Stop Sign Clip Art Free Vector 58.21KB." Stop Sign Clip Art Free Vector in Open
Office Drawing Svg ( .svg ) Format Format for Free Download 58.21KB. N.p., n.d.
Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

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