Social 2: Piliavin Flashcards
What were the IVs and DVs?
IV=
- whether the victim was drunk or cane
- the race of the victim
- the amount of witnesses
- the presence of a model 70 or 150
DV=
- the speed and frequency of help
- movement out of the target area
- verbal comments made
What was the aim?
To test the speed and frequency of help given to a drunken or caned male victim on the New York subway.
Also to test whether the race of the victim had an effect.
Who were the PPs?
How were they obtained?
PPs= 4,500 witnesses
Opportunity sampling
Describe the actors used.
- 4 males
- 3 white and 1 Black
- all dressed and acted identically
- collapse after 70 seconds
- drunk: smelt of alcohol+brown paper bag
- cane: sober+black cane
How and where did the exp take place?
WHERE= between 59th and 125th street in New York on a 7 minute train journey from 11am-3pm
HOW= victim would collapse after 70 seconds in the centre of the carriage by pole, model would come either 70 or 150 seconds later, 2 female psychologists would be in target observing and making notes
Done 103 times
What were the results?
62/65 helped cane in avg 5 seconds
19/38 helped drunk in 109 seconds
- slight effect of race on drunken victims; more likely to help own race
- comments made mostly by women shifting guilt
- diffusion of responsibility did not happen as in a close environment
What were the ethics?
- no informed consent
- no de brief
- feelings of guilt for not helping?
What is diffusion of responsibility?
Deciding someone else has responsibility and so does nothing.
What is arousal cost?
A negative feeling bystanders feel which motivates them to weigh the costs and benefits of helping. If costs outweigh then will walk away, benefits higher then will help.
What are some improvements?
- use a higher variety of victims: women, range of races, different disabilities
- different locations: on high street, in urban area, less developed city
- change times to wider range
What is the background?
-Kitty Genovese (1964): over 30 witnesses to her being repeatedly abused and eventually murdered yet no help received
