Pilliavin - CLASSIC

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

Kitty Genovese, age 28 was stabbed 4 times in New York in the 1960s. 38 people watched but did not act. Bystanders.
Theorised ‘Diffusion of Responsibility’ (predicts that the more people there are in a situation, the less likely it is that a person in need will receive help. Everyone believes that someone else will help, so no one does anything).

Question 2

Method

Answer 2

Field experiment
- DV is naturally occurring
- Cause and effect not established
- Participant variables

+ High ecological validity
+ No demand characteristics

Covert observation
2 women observed.
- subjective

Reliable - same act each time, standardised

Question 3

Materials

Answer 3

Stopwatch, Notes.

Question 4

Sampling & bias

Answer 4

4,450 participants over 3 months travelling between 11am and 3pm.
55% were white and 45% were black.
Ethnocentric (all from NYC) HOWEVER, NYC is culturally diverse.

Question 5

Procedure

Answer 5

1) 4 people, 2 women were observers (took notes) and 2 men were victim and model.
2) Victim falls into the ‘critical area’ and lands facing upwards.
3) Wait 70s or 150s and then send in model (assists victim).
4) only stop after help/model helps or end of journey (7.5 mins).

Question 6

IV & DV

Answer 6

IV
- Victim carrying a cane = ill
- Victim with bottle wrapped in a paper bag = drunk
- Race of victim
- Effect of model
- Size of group witnessing

DV
- Number of bystanders
- Frequency of help
- Race of helper
- Gender of helper
- Number of helpers
- Movement out of the critical area
- Any verbal comments made by bystanders

Question 7

Results/Findings

Answer 7

Ill victims received help 95% of the time.
Drunk victims received help 50% of the time.
Ill more likely to receive help.
Men always helped first.
People helped their own race more.
Model was not used/needed.

Question 8

Quantative & qualitative

Answer 8

_QUANTITIVE_

Strengths
- Large amounts of data can be quickly simplified
- Less ambiguous

Weaknesses
- Lacks depth and context

_QUALITATIVE_ (audio recording & log)
Strengths
- Includes depth and context

Weaknesses
- Open to bias/interpretation

Question 9

Ethics

Answer 9

Right to withdraw - done in an enclosed environment
Deception - Person “in need” was a confederate
Consent - done in a natural environment
Debrief - not given

Question 10

Conclusions

Answer 10

Humans are helpful in emergency situations.
No evidence of diffusion of responsibility .

HOWEVER, the victim was in immediate distance so difficult to evade, uncomfortable situation and people were present.

Question 11

Validity

Answer 11

No risk of demand characteristics because it was a field experiment.
High in ecological validity.

There was extraneous variables.