Piliavin

Question 1

Explain the background of Piliavin’s study. (4)

Answer 1

• The murder of Kitty Genovese in New York City in 1964.
• Was followed and assaulted near her home.
• One witness temporarily scared off the attacker when she screamed for help but returned later on.
• There were reportedly 38 eye and ear witnesses all who failed to prevent the crime.

Question 2

Define the diffusion of responsibility. (4)

Answer 2

• The larger the group , the less help.
• The feeling of responsibility is shared among a group so no one specifically feels required to help.
• Explains the bystander effect.
• For example; during kitty genovese’s murder nobody tried to help her.

Question 3

Define bystander behaviour.

Answer 3

The way an individual acts in the presence of an emergency situation.

Question 4

What is the aim of the study? (5)

Answer 4

Researchers aimed to study bystander behaviour and the effect of 4 situational variables on helping.
1. type of victim
2. race of victim
3. behaviour of a model
4. size of bystander group

Question 5

What was the type of research method?

Answer 5

Field experiment.

Question 6

What was the type of research design?

Answer 6

Independent measures design.

Question 7

What were the IVs? (4)

Answer 7

1- Type of victim ; ill or drunk
2- Race of victim ; black or white
3- Behaviour of model ; close or distant and early or late
4- Size of bystander group

Question 8

What is the DV?

Answer 8

Level of bystander helping.

Question 9

State the quantitative date. (5)

Answer 9

1- Time taken for 1st passenger to help.
2- Total number of helping passengers.
3- Race.
4- Gender.
5- Location in carriage.

Question 10

State the qualitative date.

Answer 10

Verbal remarks made by the passengers.

Question 11

Describe the sample. (6)

Answer 11

• Individuals using the underground service from Harlem to Bronx on weekdays from 11am to 3pm.
• Unsolicited opportunity sampling as no consent was given.
• Total average of passengers were 4450 , 43 per carriage and 8.5 in critical area.
• 45% were black and 55% were white.

Question 12

Describe the roles of the confederates.

Answer 12

• 2 male and 2 female.
• Female confederates sat in the area adjacent to the critical area and took notes.
• One of the males played the victim, the other played the model.

Question 13

What did observer 1 record? (4)

Answer 13

• Number of people in the car.
• Race, sex and location of passengers in the critical area.
• How many people assisted the victim.
• Comments made by passengers.

Question 14

What did observer 2 record? (3)

Answer 14

• Race, sex and location of passengers in the adjacent area.
• Time taken to assist after collapse.
• Comments made by passengers.

Question 15

What were the controls? (4)

Answer 15

• Victim always fell 70 seconds into the ride.
• Victim would remain still on the floor looking upwards.
• Dressed in casual clothes.
• Always behaved the same.

Question 16

What were the drunk conditions ?

Answer 16

Victim would smell of alcohol and always held a brown bag.

Question 17

What was the ill condition?

Answer 17

Victim always held a black cane.

Question 18

State and explain each of the model trials. (5)

Answer 18

1- Critical early: model stood in critical area and waited 70 seconds to help victim.
2- Critical late: model stood in critical area and waited 150 seconds to help victim.
3- Adjacent early: model stood in adjacent area and waited 70 seconds to help victim.
4- Adjacent late: model stood in adjacent area and waited 150 seconds to help victim.
5- No model condition: model didn’t help until train reached next stop.

Question 19

Results of study. (4)

Answer 19

• 80% received spontaneous help..
• 60% of cases had help from more than one person.
• 20% of passengers left the critical area when someone collapsed.
• 90% of helpers were male.

Question 20

Results of each IV. (3)

Answer 20

• Type of victim: more likely to help ill than drunk and received help faster.
• Type of race: both races received 100% help when ill, only white received 100% when drunk. People are more likely to help others of the same race.
• Gender: 90% of helpers were men.

Question 21

State the effect of modelling.

Answer 21

Early model intervention was slightly more likely to result in helping behaviour.

Question 22

State the comments made

Answer 22

• Its for men to help him
• I wish I could help him - I’m not strong enough
• I never saw this kind of thing before - I don’t know where to look
• You feel so bad that you don’t know what to do

Question 23

What observations were made about the comments? (2)

Answer 23

• Higher number of comments made during trials without helping.
• More comments made about drunk victim.

Question 24

Explain cost-benefit analysis.

Answer 24

Involves a decision making process where the person weighs the advantages and disadvantages of helping and acts whether or not it is beneficial for them to help.

Question 25

State the conclusions. (5)

Answer 25

• Many people would offer spontaneous help in a natural setting even in a group situation.
• This study showed no evidence of the diffusion of responsibility.
• A victim using a cane is more likely to receive help than the drunk victim.
• Men are more likely to help than women.
• People are more likely to help those of their own race.