Piliavin (issues and debates)

Question 1

Nature

Answer 1

The characteristics we are born with or develop out of natural maturation process

Question 2

Nature explanation

Answer 2

• 80% of victims recieved spontaneous help
• As some helped and some did not. It can be assumed that the individuals who did help exhibited inherent altrustic traits and there may be a genetic or biological basis for their behaviour.

There could be an evolutionary basis for helping people who are the same

Question 3

Nurture

Answer 3

Characteristics we develop as a result of learning

Question 4

Nurture explanations

Answer 4

• Pptts who helped more may have been influenced by societal norms on who was deserving of help.
• Societal norms dictate that being publically drunk is a stigmatised behaviour thus people may be less likely to help.
• Wheras helping a disabled person would be seen as a prosocial behaviour as they cannot help their condition.
• Ill victims recieved spontaneous help 95% of the time wheras drunk victims recieved help 50%.

Question 5

Individual

Answer 5

behaviours that are influenced by factors witin the person

Question 6

Individual explanations

Answer 6

• 80% of victims recieved spontaneous help
• As some helped and others did not
• The people who did help may have exhibited inherent altrustic traits
• suggesting there may be personality differences that influence prosocial behaviour

Question 7

Situational explanations

Answer 7

• The study suggests situational factors such as social context play a role in shaping behaviour
• As the study idenitified several situational factors that may influence helping behaviour/ persons decition to help
• (race/condition of victim-Participants were more likely to help a victim who were in greater need or perceived to be more similar to them.)

Question 8

Real world application

Answer 8

• The study can be used to teach about the bystander effect. Educate children to help others regardless of the conditions people find themselves in/ challenge sterotypes.
• The study tells us there are specfic situational factors that make bystanders more or less likley to help (same race/ same sex). A person in need may be more likely to be helped by a stranger that are the same gender or if they do not risk embrassing digusting or intimidating them.

Couldbe lifesaving information

Question 9

Evaluate the ethics of the study

Answer 9

1. No informed consent (they were unaware they were part of research)
2. No evidence of debriefing after trial finished
3. Ppts were deceived as they believed the victims had genuinely collapsed and needed help
4. Ppts may have suffered psychological distress from the guilt of not helping or feeling concern about the well-being of the victim.