Observation: On a recent UA flight the fasten seat belt sign remained illuminated for about 8 hours.
Hypothesis: It was accidental and was an oversight
Test: Were there turbulent episodes that would have alerted the pilot to the seatbelt sign status giving a chance to correct possible oversights? Yes, there were.
Outcome: Null hypothesis is therefore plausible i.e. It was deliberate.
Tentative theory: "On occasion the fasten seat belt sign is deliberately left illuminated in flight for extended periods"

Can we explore this theory by constructing and testing further hypotheses and perhaps seek to determine a unified process to explain the theory (i.e. a rationale).

Questions that might be asked:
Q. Was there turbulence?
A. Yes, as indicated in the test there was some moderate turbulence midway through that period but for the majority of the flight there was little to minor turbulence.
Q. Did the pilot make an announcement that there would be a lot of turbulence and the seatbelt sign would have to remain illuminated.
A. No passenger announcements were made on this matter.
Q. Did you sleep at all during the 8 hours and just miss the sign going off?
A. Yes, I dozed a little. However the seatbelt sign was always on when I was awake and if the sign had gone off and on again while I was asleep - the announcement is fairly loud. I was also paying attention to the sign.
Q. Did the fasten seatbelt sign extinguish at all during the flight?
A. Yes, in the final 1.5-2 hours of the flight usage of the seatbelt sign was as normal. The sign was extinguished for about 30-45 mins before some more significant turbulence kept it on for the rest of the flight.
Q. Why does this matter?
A. Firstly passenger safety. Keeping a fasten seatbelt sign illuminated for 8 hours will mean that people will use the restroom regardless and will be forced to ignore the sign. In this case, it is the passenger using their judgment instead of the captain as to whether it is safe to be out of their seat. This poses a risk to themselves and others around them. Secondly passenger comfort - I don't think I need to explain that to anyone!
Q. Why shouldn’t this be merged with a recent thread on bathroom use during ground wait?
A. This deals with pilot decisions in the air and is a different issue entirely.
Q. What were the specific flight details?
A. I am not providing them.