3- Piliavin et al: SOCIAL Flashcards
Background
The murder of Kitty Genovese
- Attacked and stabbed on her way home from work.
- It was reported at the time that at least 38 neighbours heard her cries for help, but no one rang the police.
Effect:
-> Interest in BYSTANDER BEHAVIOUR.
What is bystander behaviour?
(Background)
What people do when watching (or hearing) an emergency situation.
I.e., when someone else requires help.
-> People are less wiling to help if there are other bystanders and more wiling to help if they are the only bystander.
What is diffusion of responsibility?
(Background)
John Darley & Bibb Latene (1968)’s explanation for bystander behaviour:
-> In a large group each person feels less responsibility.
Demonstrated in their studies:
- I.e.,: ‘intercom study’
- But were all done in a lab.
Aim(s)
To investigate the effect of certain variables on individuals’ speed and willingness to help (helping behaviour).
- Type of victim (drunk / cane).
- Race of victim (black / white)
- Modelling (seeing someone else being helpful)
- Group size & relationship to helping
Design
(Method)
Field experiment with an independent measures design and using observational techniques. (+ a snapshot study).
IV
(Method)
1) Type of victim (drunk / cane).
2) Race (black / white).
3) Presence of model.
4) Group size
DV
(Method)
1) Time it took for help to be offered.
2) Number of people who offered help.
Sample
(Method)
An opportunity sample of passengers on the New York subway during the middle of the day (11am to 3pm) through the period from 15 April to 26 June 1968.
There were about 4,450 men & women passengers on the trains.
Mean number of people per car during these hours was 43.
Mean number of people in the ‘critical area’ (incident took place) was 8.5
CONFEDERATES:
Confederates played the role of victim & models.
They were all General Studies students from Columbia University, New York aged between 24 & 35 yrs.
There were 4 teams of students. Each team consisted of a male victim, male model, and 2 female observers to record activity.
One of the victims was black.
Materials / Apparatus
1) Black cane
2) Liquor bottle wrapped in brown paper
Procedure
(Summary version)
There were 103 trials.
1) 7 1/2 minute train journey with no stops.
2) Time: 11 am to 3pm (outside of rush hour).
3) 4 groups of 4 experimenters:
-> 1 male model, 1 male victim, 2 female observers.
4) After 70s: victim staggered into middle of critical area and falls down (lays there).
5) Waits for someone to help - if no help, the model steps in:
-> Early: 70s
-> Late: 150s
-> No model condition
6) 2 observers observed different things.
Procedure
(Full details version)
1) There were 103 trials. Each trial was one ride on the express New York subway lasting 7 1/2 minutes (from one stop -> next). On each trial a team of 4 students boarded a subway train using different doors, varying the location of the experimental car.
2) The victim always stood next to a pole in the centre of the critical area. After 70s the victim staged a collapse and remained on the floor until help was forthcoming or until the train stopped, when the model helped him up.
3) On 38 trials the victim smelled of liquor and carried a liquor bottle wrapped tightly in a brown bag (drunk condition), while on the remaining 65 trials he appeared sober and carried a black cane (cane condition). In all other aspects victims dressed and behaved identically in both conditions.
4) There were 4 model conditions: The model stood in the critical or adjacent area and either helped early (70s after initial collapse) or late (150s later). There was also a no-model condition.
5) The observers sat outside the critical area and recorded data as unobtrusively as possible during the ride.
6) One observer noted the race, sex and location (RSL) of people in the critical area and also counted the people in the car and the number of people who helped plus their RSL.
7) A second observer noted the RSL of people in the adjacent area, and noted how long it took for the first person to help after the victim collapsed and / or after the model appeared.
8) Both observers recorded comments spontaneously made by nearby passengers and attempted to elicit comments from a rider sitting next to them.
Results
Drunk / using cane
(The frequency of helping was considerably higher than found in previous lab experiments).
- Cane (95%) was more likely to receive help than drunk (50%).
- Help is quicker for cane (87% cane were helped before model acted, vs 17% for drunk).
- Median latency for cane (non-model) was 5s.
-> Drunk = 109s
Results
Race and gender
- The black victim received help less quickly than white.
- A slight ‘same race effect’ in drunk condition.
- 90% of first helpers were male, whereas only 60% of passengers were male.
Results
Modelling
The model intervening early (after 70s) had slightly more effect than the late model (150s).
Results
Group size
‘Diffusion of responsibility’ was NOT found in this study; helping was greater in 7 than 3 person groups.
