Social Area- Pilliavin

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

Inspired by Kitty Genovese case (a woman was attacked in New York, and 38 witnesses didn’t help).
Psychologists wanted to study bystander behaviour (why people help or don’t help in emergencies).
Previous research (e.g., Darley & Latané) showed the “bystander effect” – people are less likely to help when others are present (diffusion of responsibility).
Piliavin et al. wanted to test this in a real-life setting (subway) instead of a lab.

Question 2

Aim

Answer 2

To investigate bystander behavior in a real-life emergency.
Specifically, they wanted to see:
How people react when they witness someone needing help (do they help or not?).
If factors like victim’s condition (drunk vs. ill) and race affect the likelihood of getting help.

Question 3

Sample

Answer 3

4 males 26-35
3 white 1 black
Around 4,450 passengers

Question 4

Procedure

Answer 4

Setting: New York subway (8th Avenue Line), weekdays, 11 AM – 3 PM.
Teams: 4 researchers per trial (1 victim, 1 model helper, 2 observers).
Victim collapsed after 70 seconds in the train carriage.
Two victim conditions:
Drunk (smelled of alcohol, held a bottle).
Ill (sober, with a cane).
Model conditions (if no one helped):
Helped early (70 sec) or late (150 sec).
Stood near or far from the victim.
Observers recorded:
Who helped & how long it took.
Race, gender, location of passengers.
Comments from passengers.

Question 5

Findings

Answer 5

95% of participants helped
62/65 ill victims received help
50% of drunk people received help
Time= 5 seconds to help ill
109sec to help drunk

Question 6

Conclusions

Answer 6

As people weigh up the rewards of helping or not people are not altuistic/ selfish desires

Question 7

Research Method design

Answer 7

Field Experiment

Question 8

IV:

Answer 8

Type of victim or ILL/DRUNK
Race of victim- black or white

Question 9

DV:

Answer 9

Whether there were models
Number of passengers

Question 10

Bystander effect

Answer 10

when people fail to act and help someone in need

Question 11

Diffusion of responsibility

Answer 11

Bystander doesn’t take responsibility to help victims when there are bystanders present as each feels as if someone can help

Question 12

Altruism

Answer 12

is doing something good for somebody without getting anything for yourself

Question 13

Sampling method

Answer 13

Opportunity sampling-there at the time