She agreed. The first twenty minutes of the observation is complete at this stage. At this time the strongest support for my hypothesis is the non-verbal behavior and the final sentences of the conversation.
The hypothesis was tested and confirmed during the second twenty minutes of the conversation. The male and female continued to display non-verbal behavior that supported the hypothesis regarding their developing feelings for each other. They frequently touched hands and looked into each other's eyes. They also smiled more frequently at each other than at me and gave more attention to each other than to me. When speaking to each other, both the female and male leaned forward slightly and focused their attention on the other.
In terms of conversation, the subject of the conversation continued to revolve around college life and how this contrasted with their lives at home. They appeared to agree that they were grateful for each other's company in the new setting. The male observed that the only problem was the infrequency of their visits. The female responded that their studies kept them very busy, but that she would also like to see the male more often. They agreed that their date on Friday was a good beginning. Both were silent for a while as they considered the use of the word "date." The male considered whether they should consider the outing as a date between boyfriend and girlfriend, or whether they were simply going out as friends. The female was quiet...
They agreed. The rest of the conversation revolved around their new status as romantic partners rather than platonic friends. Both appeared excited at the prospect. The lunch ended at approximately 14:50, with both subjects agreeing on a time and place to meet for their date on Friday. They parted with a kiss.
The second part of he conversation therefore proved my hypothesis that the two friends were developing feelings for each other. The timing appeared right for both of them to realize this, and our lunch in the restaurant was a good springboard for them to make future plans for their new connection.
A enjoyed this exercise, particularly because I could observe two friends awakening to their deeper feelings for each other. I also however found it particularly challenging to observe their conversation and behavior without being obvious in this. This challenge was made easier by the fact that they gave a large amount of their attention to each other rather than to me. In this case it was therefore a good thing to be a "third wheel," as this gave me some freedom to make my observations inconspicuously. I find this type of research very interesting, because it is practical and provides the researcher with more accurate data than might otherwise have been the case. I look forward to applying this technique in my future studies and also in my professional life once I graduate.
