Draft of Prospectus Approach

Here is the definition of play I will be using in my research: Play is an activity that is carried out for the purpose of amusement and fun, that is approached with an enthusiastic and in-the-moment attitude for one’s own personal enjoyment

Draft of Approach Below:

            To accomplish this research, I will first observe the various forms of play behaviors at various main street locations throughout Northwest Arkansas. Play behaviors I am observing include: gossip, pro-social physical play (i.e. dancing with your friend at the dinner table), anti-social physical play (i.e. mock-fighting), public performance, and games/crafts. To observe how landscape design interventions may affect these play behaviors, I will chart the types of affordances that contribute to play behaviors at each location. A few examples of a viable observations for my study would be a landscaping rock where two young women sit to gossip and laugh about their week (gossip), two friends splashing each other with water from a fountain (anti-social physical play), or a group of friends stopping to see who can hang the longest from a low-hanging tree branch (games/crafts). My chosen locations are: Dickson Street, Fayetteville; Emma Avenue, Springdale; and Walnut Street, Rogers. Each location will be visited on a Saturday in hopes to observe as many people as possible. I will attempt to observe each location on partly-cloudy to sunny days, ranging between 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit, however, weather is unpredictable and I will have to factor in climate conditions as significant independent variable in my study. Each location will be observed at four distinct times throughout the day at one hour intervals: morning (7:00-8:00 AM), midday (12:00-1:00 PM), afternoon (5:00-6:00 PM), and evening (10:00-11:00 PM). I will be observing an extended range of young adults, ages 18-30, however, I do not intend to ask every person observed their age, therefore there will be some bias in those who I assume are within the disclosed range.

            In the second part of my research, I will conduct a focus group of young adults (18-30), to discuss play in their adult lives and in relation to their attachment to Fayetteville. The focus group will consist of 6 to 10 subjects, all residents of Fayetteville for at least two years.

Potential leading questions to ask:

•        Tell me about your favorite memory of Dickson Street or the Main Square?
•        What would you change about Dickson Street or the Main Square that would make you frequent the area more?
•        Describe how you play in your daily life.