Specific Characteristic of Myself - Assignment Example

I smoke only in social gatherings and I smoke cigars (the not nicotine type) and not cigarettes. I know these seem like the habit picked up by an older generation or by a group of gentlemen but it is a trend being picked up by even the younger generation which prefers it to take alcohol or smoking the real cigarettes which are more harmful to the health. In all these social gatherings, the people I consider my friends or allies smoke these kinds of cigars and I was initially the only odd one out. For a while (months) I resisted the temptation both from the friends and myself to indulge in this behavior but eventually, I threw in the towel and started smoking them only because I didn’t want to be left out anymore.

The social environment had been the one that enticed me to start the behavior. Had I not been involved in these social gatherings, I would not even have known how to buy a cigar let alone be an expert smoker. The most interesting bit about this behavior is that it happens only when I am in these social meetings but once done, I do not even feel the slightest urge to smoke a cigar. I do not feel left out or a loner anymore and actually a sense of belonging settles in once everyone removes their cigars and starts smoking them even if for only a few minutes (Kirst-Ashman, 2007).

If you wanted to do research to find out for certain whether the environment affects this characteristic in people, what method would you use?
Observation is the best research method to find out whether for certain it is the environment that has brought about this behavior in individuals. This research can be conducted among the same circle of friends I have as it is the easier target and data will be collected easily without invading the privacy of most people. Observation can take place outside the social gatherings for example in their offices, homes, or in between classes. The observation will not be hard as I interact with these people often in social gatherings and hence they would not feel invaded when I pay them courtesy visits outside the gatherings.

If the persons do not smoke when in their other areas other than in the social gatherings, then the obvious conclusion is that just like me, it is the social environment that has brought about this behavior on them. If however they still smoke even in their other environments outside the social gatherings, then it can be concluded that their behavior has not been brought about by the social environment (Ashford and LeCroy, 2009). The observations have however to taken place over a certain period of time and severally for any conclusion to be reached.