Piliavin (1969)

Question 0

Method

Answer 0

Field experiment

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To see in a face to face situation where there is no clear escape route, whether the following would influence helping behaviour: 
Ill or dunk victim
Ethnicity of victim
Intervention of a model
Size of group

Question 2

Location

Answer 2

New York subway

Question 3

Procedure

Answer 3

70 seconds after train departed, victim would fall and lay looking at the ceiling
If the victim received no help after the 8 minute journey, the model would help him up

Question 4

Dependent variables

Answer 4

The time taken for the first passenger to offer help
The total number of passengers who helped
The gender, race and location of every helper
The time taken for the first passenger to offer help after the first model had assisted

Question 5

Sample

Answer 5

Self selected sample

Question 6

Sample size

Answer 6

Around 4450 men and women who used the trains on weekdays between 11am and 3pm between 15th April to 26th June (1968)

Question 7

Quantitative Results

Answer 7

The ill victim received help 95% off the time compared to 50% for the drunk victim

90% of spontaneous helpers were male

Same race helping slightly more frequent

No strong relationship between number of bystanders and speed of helping

Question 8

Conclusion

Answer 8

Cost-Reward model suggested

Question 9

What is the cost-reward model?

Answer 9

Observation of an emergency created arousal.

This is higher if:
The more bystander can empathise
The closer they are
The longer the emergency continues

This is reduced by: 
Healing directly
Going to get help
Leaving the scene 
Rejecting victim as undeserving

Question 10

Qualitative data

Answer 10

The longer the emergency continued the less impact the model had, the more likely it was individuals left the critical area, the more discussion that occurred about behaviour
Women commented that men should help

Question 11

Advantages of the method?

Answer 11

Higher ecological validity and no demand characteristics in an everyday natural environment

Question 12

Disadvantages of method?

Answer 12

More extraneous variables eg other person may collapse, heat makes Ps irritable

Can’t withdraw

Time consuming and expensive

Question 13

Advantages of observation

Answer 13

Honest responses due to covert observation

Question 14

Disadvantages of observation

Answer 14

Could get distracted

Not very accurate, may lose sight of hearing due to large crowds

Question 15

Advantages of sample

Answer 15

Accurate representation of New York target population

Individual differences reduced due to large sample

Question 16

Generalisability

Answer 16

Generalisable to confined spaces but not open areas

Question 17

Controls

Answer 17

Duration of journey - 7 1/2 minutes
How and where victim fell
Clothes and smell of victim

Question 18

Ethics

Answer 18

No debrief
No consent or right to withdraw
Ps know they will have no privacy
May increase stress but know person had been helped

Question 19

Usefulness and application

Answer 19

Learned something - people do a cost benefit analysis during emergencies

French penalties for people who don’t help (raises cost)