Sociology, Department of
Date of this Version
1984
Citation
Hill, Michael R. 1984. “Stalking the Urban Pedestrian: A Comparison of Questionnaire and Tracking Methodologies for Behavioral Mapping in Large-Scale Environments.” Environment and Behavior 16 (5): 539-550.
Abstract
Behavioral mapping in unrestricted, outdoor environments raises methodological challenges which have led several environmental behavior researchers to employ questionnaires rather than behavioral observation as the usual method of data collection. This study provides an empirically-grounded comparison of both techniques for recovering data on routes selected by pedestrians as they engage in unrestricted travel from place to place in an urban environment. Mid-trip interception tracking provides expensive but accurate data on partial trips whereas questionnaires provide more easily obtainable data on complete trips but with a lesser degree of accuracy. The reduced level of accuracy for questionnaire data is mild, however, and may be tolerable given the specific aims and resources of a particular investigation.
Comments
Copyright 1984 Michael R. Hill