Piliavin

Question 1

Design

Answer 1

Field experiment, indepedent measures design

Question 2

Sample

Answer 2

4450

Question 3

Explain how the procedure from Piliavin et al.’s
(1969) study relates to the key theme of responses
to people in need [3]

How would you answer this?

Answer 3

Dependent variable

People in need

What the need was

Question 4

Explain how the procedure from Piliavin et al.’s
(1969) study relates to the key theme of responses
to people in need [3]

Answer 4

In Piliavin et al’s study passengers response times were
measured when a confederate posed as a person in
need by staggering and then collapsing either by
appearing drunk or disabled

Question 5

Piliavin et al. carried out a study into responses to
people in need.
Identify two materials used in this study.

Answer 5

Black cane
Paper bag

Question 6

Give two ways in which this study may be
considered ethnocentric. [2]

Answer 6

Only black and white victims used

All models were white

Question 7

Compare Piliavin et al.’s study with Levine et al.’s
study into responses to people in need by
suggesting either one difference or one similarity
between them. [4]

How would you answer this?

Answer 7

Identify similarity or difference

Outline

Reference to Piliavin

Reference to Levine

Question 8

Compare Piliavin et al.’s study with Levine et al.’s
study into responses to people in need by
suggesting either one difference or one similarity
between them. [4]

Answer 8

One similarity is the sampling method. Both studies
used opportunistic sampling. In the case of Piliavin
et al it was members of public how happened to be
travelling on the subway when the fall was staged.
In one of Levine et al’s scenarios, the participants were
pedestrians who happened to be using a crossing at
the same time as a confederate posing as a blind
person.

Question 9

Aim

Answer 9

To investigate the impact of helping behaviour in an emergency situation in a real life setting of a subway train

Question 10

Procedure

Answer 10

7.5 min journey on one stretch on a NY subway

Researchers worked in teams of 4: 1 male victim, 1 male model, 2 female observers

4 IVs: Type of victim, Race of victim, Presence of model, Number of bystanders

DV: collected by observers in critical or adjacent area: Time taken to help, number of people who helped, race of helper, gender of helper

Question 11

Findings

Answer 11

Cane victim received spontaneous help 95% of the time compared to 50% for drunk victim

90% of first helpers were male

slight tendency for same race helping in drunk condition

Question 12

Conclusions

Answer 12

A cost reward model can predict when help will be given in an emergency situation in which the bystander ways up pros and cons of helping before make the decision to intervene

Question 13

Similarity between Piliavin et al and Levine

Answer 13

Both studies have high ecological validity
Means how far results can be generalised to real life
P= covert observations on a train where an emergency may happen
L= cover observations in a city with everyday situations such as a dropped pen

Question 14

Difference between Piliavin and Levine

Answer 14

Piliavin is ethnocentric, levine is not
Ethnocentrism is having a sample limited to one culture or group making it hard to generalise findings
P= 4450PP from NY city
L=1198PP from 23 countries including individualist, collectivist and simpatia

Question 15

How does Piliavin link to the social area?

Answer 15

Defining Principle - Assumes that people behaviour is affected by the situation that they are in so social psychologists are interested in the effects of social context and environments on behaviour

Interested in helping behaviour in an emergency situation. One variable that was being studied was the diffusion of responsibility; would there be less help the more people there was - Piliavin found no evidence of this

Question 16

Link to key theme

Answer 16

Helping behaviour can be defined as a type of pro-social behaviour that involved voluntary actions that are intended to benefit someone else.

Investigated helping behaviour on a subway in NY. Findings demonstrated that people are more likely to be helped if they seem to need help due to factors beyond their control.

Question 17

Background

Answer 17

The case of Kitty Genovese - stabbed with 47 bystanders but no one called the police

Question 18

Research Method pros and cons

Answer 18

+ field method results in high ecological validity
- however it is difficult to control extraneous variables

Question 19

Ethical Issues

Answer 19

PPs may feel anxious or distressed or even guilty

PPs did not give consent

Deceived by the actor

Were not able to withdraw their data

No debrief

Question 20

Validity

Answer 20

He did measure helping behaviour, however PPs could not leave so this might not represent how they would act in real life

Question 21

Inter-rater Reliability

Answer 21

High
2 observers
covered most of the carriage
timings consistent

Question 22

Sampling Bias

Answer 22

highly representative however due to the timings people were likely observed more than once

Question 23

Usefulness

Answer 23

Relevant to the time period only (1969) women now have more rights and feel safer in society so may be more willing to help

only shows how people who react in one situation only