Core studies - Social Psychology - Levine Study

Question 1

Main Aim

Answer 1

To investigate helping behaviour in a wide range of cultures, in large cities across the world

Question 2

Aim 1

Answer 2

To see if helping behaviour is consistent in a culture regardless of the situation

Question 3

Aim 2

Answer 3

To see if helping behaviour is different across cultures

Question 4

Aim 3

Answer 4

To see if any community variables impacted helping behaviour

Question 5

What were the 4 community variables

Answer 5

1. Population size
2. Economic well-being
3. Cultural values
4. Pace of life

Question 6

Research Method

Answer 6

• Quasi Experiment
• Independent measures design

Question 7

What was the IV

Answer 7

The cities

Question 8

What was the DV

Answer 8

The percentage helping rate of the 23 countries

Question 9

What were the 3 emergency situations

Answer 9

1. Whether the victim dropped a pen
2. Whether the victim had a hurt / injured leg
3. Whether the victim was blind and trying to cross the street

Question 10

Sample

Answer 10

Large cities is each of the 23 countries

Question 11

Procedure for dropped pen condition

Answer 11

• Experimenters walked towards a lone pedestrian passing in the opposite direction. When 10 to 15 feet from the subject, the experimenter reached into his pocket and accidentally, without appearing to notice, dropped his pen behind him, and continued walking past the subject.
• Helped: if they called back to the experimenter and/or picked up the pen and brought it to the experimenter.

Question 12

Procedure for hurt leg condition

Answer 12

• Walking with a heavy limp and wearing a large and clearly visible leg brace. Experimenters ‘accidentally’ dropped and unsuccessfully struggled to reach down for a pile of magazines.
• Helped: offering to help and/or beginning to help without offering.

Question 13

Procedure for blind person condition

Answer 13

• Experimenters, dressed in dark glasses and carrying white canes, acted the role of a blind person needing help crossing the street. They stepped up to the corner just before the change to the green man, held out their cane, and waited until someone helped.
• Helped: participants informed the experimenter that the light was green or helped to cross.

Question 14

Results for Aim 1

Answer 14

• Most helpful : Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Least helpful : Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Statistical analysis found a moderate degree of consistency (NY was an anomaly) across the three measures of helping behaviour

Question 15

Results for Aim 2

Answer 15

• Overall helping rate (Rio) = 93%
• Overall helping rate (Kuala) = 40%
• Cultural behaviour of simpatia emphasise prioritising being friendly (Latin America + Spain)

Question 16

Results for Aim 3

Answer 16

• Correlation
• There was a significant negative correlation between a country’s helping behaviour and their economic productivity
• Countries where residents were more wealthy tended to be less helpful overall

Question 17

Conclusion for Aim 1

Answer 17

The helping of strangers is a cross-culturally meaningful characteristic of a place/city/country

Question 18

Conclusion for Aim 2

Answer 18

There are large cross-cultural variations in helping rates. Countries with the cultural tradition of simpatia are, on average, more helpful than countries with no such tradition

Question 19

Conclusion for Aim 3

Answer 19

Helping across culture in inversely related to a country’s economic productivity

Question 20

Link to Key Theme

Question 21

Link to Area