Subway Samaritans

Question 1

Psychology being Investigated

Answer 1

Bystanders: Person who is present but not directly involved in a situation.
Bystander apathy: when a bystander does not show concern for a person in need.
This trigger was because of the murder of Kitty Genovese in New York, 1964. She was attacked on her way home. It was alleged that around 38 individuals either saw or heard what happened, but no one tried to prevent it.

Darley and Latane found people were more likely to help another if they were alone.
Diffusion of responsibility: when other people are available in a situation, one may be less likely to assist because they feel a reduced sense of responsibility.
Modelling: when we watch a person perform a desired behavior. We are more likely to imitate, thus engage in helping.

Question 2

Background

Answer 2

Investigate whether people would demonstrate bystander apathy towards a person in need of help in a realistic setting.

Test diffusion of responsibility hypothesis to test if bystanders felt to help less if others were around.

Question 3

Aim

Answer 3

Study bystander apathy and diffusion of responsibility in a natural setting.

Four variables on being a ‘Good Samaritan’ (one who offers help to others experiencing difficulty):
- Victim type
- Victim race
- ‘Model’ behavior
- Size of bystander group

Question 4

Research Method and Design

Answer 4

• Field Experiment (took place in a realistic environment)
• Independent group design (trials were repeated on different days and involved different participants in each condition)

IV
- Victim type (drunk or ill)
- Victim race (black or white)
- ‘Model’ behavior (close or distant to victim, either early or late)
- Size of bystander group (present number of passengers in the carriage)

DV
Level of bystander helping.
Quantitative: operationalized as the time taken to help and number of participants helping. Race, gender and location were recorded too.
Qualitative: verbal remarks made in each incident.

Question 5

Sample

Answer 5

• New York City subway
• Passengers travelling between Harlem and Bronx between 11am and 3pm. (Opportunity sampling)
• 4450 participants (45% black, 55% white)

Mean number per carriage: 43
Mean number in critical area: 8.5

Question 6

Procedure

Answer 6

4 teams of students carried out the study using a standard procedure:
- Each trial had 2 male and 2 female students board using different doors.
- Females sat in adjacent area to the critical area.
- Observed and recorded data each trial.
- Males took role as model and victim.
- Victim stood at pole in the center of critical area, model stood throughout the trial.
- Each trial used same route, 7.5-minute gap between two stations.
- 70 seconds into journey, victim staggered forward and collapsed.
- if no help received, model would help the victim at the next stop.

• Although victims were different males, they were mad to look similar (dressed identically with casual clothing: jacket, old trousers, no tie)
• Aged 26-35, 3 white and 1 black.
• 38/103 trials, victim smelled of alcohol, carrying a bottle in brown bag.
• 65/103 trials, victim carried a black cane.
• Models were white, aged 24-29, and dressed informally.
  helped victims into a sitting position and stayed until next stop.

Trials were split into conditions:
- Critical/early: model in critical area and waited 70 seconds to help victim
- Critical/late: model in critical area and waited 150 seconds to help victim
- Adjacent/early: model in adjacent area and waited 70 seconds to help victim
- Adjacent/late: model in adjacent area and waited 150 seconds to help victim
No model: no help offered until trial was over, and train reached next stop

Question 7

Results