Piliavin-Abridged

Background Kitty Genovese-38 witnesses-bystander effect Diffusion of responsibility

Aim To test diffusion of responsibility in real life setting To look at effect of type of victim and race of victim To look at effects of modeling To examine relationship between group size, and frequency or latency

Methodology Field Experiment, with some naturalistic observation

Variables IV DV Type of victim (Cane or drunk) Race of victim (black and white) Model conditions DV Frequency of helping, speed of helping, race of helper, sex of helper

Participants 4450 men and women travelling between 11 am and 3 pm. (naïve) 45% black and 55% white Opportunity Sample

Procedure 1. Four members position themselves on train 2. 70 seconds after train leave, victim staggers forward, collapses, and remains on floor 3. If no one helps, model intervenes 4 conditions Same 70 Same 150 Diff 70 Diff 150 4. Observer 1 records race, sex, and location of passengers, total number of people and helpers. Observer 2 records same for adjacent area, and time taken. Both record comments 5. If no one helps, model helps victim to feet. Repeat going in opposite direction. 6-8 trials each day.

Data Quantitative: demographics, frequency, etc. Qualitative: Comments

Apparatus (Scratch out Data Analysis) Subway train (13 seats) Eisenhauer Jackets and old slacks Cane, bottle in paper bag Response categories for observer

Main Findings Study this stuff, a bunch Cane-62 of 65 without model, 5 seconds Drunk-19 of 38, 109 seconds 60% two, three or more (first helper crucial) 90% of helpers were male Drunk had same race. Ill not an effect

Conclusions Ill gets more help than drunk Men more likely to help Same race likely, especially when drunk No strong relationship between number and speed The longer it goes, less effect of model, and increased likelihood that people leave area

Strengths Realistic setting Limited demand characteristics Usefulness High control

Weaknesses Generalizability Situational variables Ethical guidelines broken

Ecological Validity High, real life situation

Ethics D – Nope R – Nope D – Not debriefed I - Nope C - Yes H – Limited

Usefulness Debatable- Contributes quite a bit to discussion

Relationship to approach Diffusion of responsibility Cost-reward matrix (helping, not helping) Arousal as unpleasant feeling Needs to be reduced Leave area, help, get help, conclude don’t deserve it

Relationship to issues Generalisations Ecological Validity Usefulness Snapshot study