Pilliavin

Question 1

key theme

Answer 1

responses to people in need

Question 2

Altruism

Answer 2

behaviour intended to help others having no benefit to ourselves

Question 3

Background

Answer 3

The case of Kitty Genovese:
-she was stabbed early morning on her way home from work (5am ish)
-neighbours heard her cries, several saw the attack
-one neighbour shouted at attacker making them leave
-attacker returned 10 mins later and followed her blood trail to her apartment, he raped, robbed and killed her there.
-total time of attack was around 30 min.
-38 witnesses and no one helped. (bystander effect)

Question 4

Bystander effect (why people don’t help)

Answer 4

a phenomenon where people are less likely to help in emergency situation when others are present.

Question 5

Pluralistic ignorance (explanation for bystander effect)

Answer 5

where we rely on the actions of others to guide our own behaviour.
If other people fail to react and act as though nothing is wrong then we are also less likely to help.

Question 6

Diffusion of responsibility (explanation for bystander effect)

Answer 6

The tendency for multiple bystanders to be less likely to help in an emergency than if they were alone.
In such cases the responsibility for action is diffused (shared) among all of bystanders present, people therefore feel less personal responsibility to help.

Question 7

Latane & Darley-5 steps to helping behaviour

Answer 7

1. we must notice event
2. we must interpret the event as an emergency
3. we must assume personal responsibility
4. we must choose a way to help
5. we must implement the decision to help

Question 8

The cost-benefit theory

Answer 8

when confronted with an ‘emergency’ we balance the possible costs against possible benefits of helping and not helping.

Question 9

Main aim

Answer 9

To investigate in a natural setting, factors that may influence bystander behaviour.

Question 10

Aims (4 areas)

Answer 10

1. Is the type of victim significant?- drunk/ill
2. To consider the impact of modelling.
3. To see if victims race is significant.
4. To consider the effect of group size

Question 11

Method

Answer 11

Field experiment (natural environment)
New York subway
On trains between 59th and 125th street.

Question 12

how many ‘experimental trails’ took place?

Answer 12

103

Question 13

journey time

Answer 13

no stops, 7 and 1/2 mins

Question 14

what time?

Answer 14

between 11:00am and 3:00pm over period of 2 months

Question 15

Sample

Answer 15

4,450 men & women
Unsolicited ps (didn’t know they were taking part)
45% black, 55% white
mean number of people present: 43
mean number of people in ‘critical area’: 8

Question 16

Independent variables

Answer 16

-type of victim (drunk or ill)
-race of victim (black or white)
-presence of model (early or late)
-number of bystanders (varied naturally)

Question 17

Dependent variables

Answer 17

-2 female observers used, posed as passengers
-time taken for passenger to help
-total number of passengers who helped
-gender, race, location of every helper
-time taken for first passenger to help after model had assisted.

Question 18

victim conditions

Answer 18

4 victims aged 26-35
one was black
all dressed identical, each participated in both drunk and ill trials.

Question 19

drunk victim

Answer 19

on 38 trials- victim smelt of alcohol and carried bottle wrapped in brown bag.

Question 20

cane victim (ill)

Answer 20

on 65 trials- victim appeared sober and carried a cane.

Question 21

model conditions- early model/critical area

Answer 21

model stood in critical area and helped after 70 seconds.

Question 22

model conditions- early model/ adjacent area

Answer 22

model stood in adjacent area and offered help after 70 seconds.

Question 23

model conditions- late model/ critical area

Answer 23

model stood in critical area and helped after 150 seconds.

Question 24

model conditions- late model/ adjacent area

Answer 24

model stood in adjacent area and helped after 150 seconds

Question 25

Results- amount of help offered (cane victim)

Answer 25

-ill victim was helped 62/65 times (95%)
-in 3 trials model stepped in after 70s (help was no longer spontaneous)

Question 26

Results- amount of help offered (drunk victim)

Answer 26

-drunk victim was helped 19/38 times (50%)
-49/81 (60%) victim was helped by 2 or more people
-21/103 (20%) 34 people left critical area after victim collapsed.

Question 27

Results- time taken to help

Answer 27

took people longer to help in drunk condition.
average 5 seconds for ill victim
+109 seconds for drunk victim

Question 28

Results- gender

Answer 28

90% of first helpers were male

Question 29

Results- race

Answer 29

black victims received less help, less quick
(especially drunk condition)
slight ‘same race’ effect in drunk condition, whites were more likely to help whites.

Question 30

Results- group size

Answer 30

-more passengers present, more likely help was given (diffusion of responsibility)

Question 31

Results- spontaneous comments (qualitative data)

Answer 31

-observers spoke to person next to them & noted their comments/ actions.
-more comments on drunk & no model/late model trials
-many women commented on how they couldn’t help, it was for men to help

Question 32

emotional arousal

Answer 32

this study explains helping behaviour in situations where escape is not possible and where bystanders face to face with their victims.
The observation of an emergency creates EMOTIONAL AROUSAL in the bystander.

Question 33

conclusions & explanations
The arousal state is higher if:

Answer 33

• more than one can empathise with victim.
  *closer one is to the emergency
  *longer emergency continues without help being given

Question 34

conclusions & explanations
Arousal can be reduced by:

Answer 34

*helping directly
*going to get help
*leaving the scene
*reject victim as undeserving

*bystander responses are determined by weighing up costs & rewards of helping or not helping

Question 35

emergency situation= heightened arousal, further increased by:

Answer 35

*empathy
*proximity
*duration of emergency

Question 36

the model suggests

Answer 36

helping is motivated by a selfish desire to get rid of oneself of an ‘unpleasant’ emotional state rather than being a positive ‘altruistic’ model of helping

Question 37

why was there NO diffusion of responsibility?

Answer 37

*ps could see victim, so were able to see what needed to be done.
*ps were in an enclosed environment-couldn’t escape
*proximity of other passengers made ps feel morally obliged to help
*there were more potential helpers
*costs of helping were low because few risks were involved with others around to help as well.