Wednesday, February 4, 2009

I spy with my eye

While it is true that we should always try to substantiate arguments with evidence from reliable sources, we should not ignore the importance of personal observation. Often, just by paying attention we can gather quite a bit of information, much of which is relevant and usable. Remember that in AQ they often ask for personal experiences and observations.

Last Saturday I went to Compass Point as I always do (If you see me walking about in my flip-flops and unshaven just ignore me!). I noticed something noteworthy. The mall looked crowded as it always is on Saturday. However, when we went into the shops what we saw was quite odd indeed. POPULAR bookstore didn't look as popular as it normally is on a Saturday. Actually, it was quite empty and queues were short. KIDDY PALACE and METRO were similarly empty. BEST DENKI was crowded, but few were at the payment counters. The FOODCOURT however was packed as usual.

So what can we conclude from all this? Check out Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/maslow.htm
http://talkingtails.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/800px-maslows_hierarchy_of_needssvg.png

What observations can you share? Can you see other teenagers altering their behaviour or habits because of the recession?

RA