Factors Influencing Reluctance to Help. Chapter 10, pp. 432-435

Audience Inhibition The presence of others at the scene provides an audience and this increases the chance of being embarrassed or feeling foolish, this inhibits or prevents someone from helping. Therefore, audience inhibition is defined as not helping another person because of fear of appearing foolish in front of others. The problem is that if people observe that everyone else is keeping calm they will conclude that no-one else is concerned or upset and therefore help is not needed.

Smoked Filled Room Latane and Darley (1968) used 60 male university students who volunteered for the experiment as participants. They asked all participants to complete a questionnaire in a small room, they were either alone in the room or in the same room with two other people. In condition 1, a participant was in the room alone. In condition 2, one participant was in the room together with two confederates who had been instructed to not react when help was needed. In condition 3, a group of three participants were in the room together and all three were ‘true’ participants.

Method While participants in the three experimental conditions were completing the questionnaire, a staged emergency occurred where smoke was gradually pumped into the room through an air vent in the wall. The smoke was clearly visible and had a faint smoke smell, but was not harmful to the participants. The experimenters observed the participants through the one-way mirror for the next six minutes and recorded how much time passed before the smoke was reported. For the entire experimental period or until a participant took action, smoke continued to flow into the room. Enough smoke had flowed into the room after four minutes to obscure vision.

Interpret the data What interpretations of the data can you make from this graph?

Results Of the participants who were alone in the room (condition 1), 50% left the room to report the smoke within two minutes and 75% had reported the smoke within 3½ minutes. In contrast, 62% of the participants in the room with two other people (conditions 2 and 3), continued filling out the questionnaire throughout the entire six-minute period, even though the room was completely filled with smoke.

Conclusions When interviewed after the experiment, participants reported that when they were in the room with two others, although they were concerned about the smoke initially, they didn't want to embarrass themselves or appear foolish by looking too anxious, so they tried to remain calm. Participants noticed that the others appeared calm and unconcerned about the smoke. This led them to interpret the smoke as harmless, deciding that it was steam or a problem with the air conditioning, therefore they ignored the situation and continued completing the questionnaire. Thus, each participant's interpretation of the situation was influenced by their perception of the other people's responses and their audience inhibition. However, when in the smoke-filled room alone, once the individuals noticed the smoke, many hesitated only briefly before investigating its source and reporting it.

Cost-benefit analysis Involves weighing up the personal and social costs of helping against the benefits of helping. Benefits of helping are like rewards. E.g. monetary reward, gratitude of the victim, help in return (reciprocity), feeling good and an increase in self-esteem, or social approval. Costs may include the effort and time required to help, risks such as personal injury, feeling bad (guilt or embarrassment) or loss of resources such as money or possessions.

Cost-benefit analysis At times when we are confronted with a choice about whether to help someone or not, if the anticipated costs of helping outweigh the benefits, we are less likely to help; if not, we are more likely to help.

Cost Benefit Game In your table groups you have money to help people in need. Your task is decide as a group how much money you will give to help the person/people in the scenario. To decide on how much help you will give you need to take into account the downfalls of helping, including the personal, social and any physical costs. If you give too much or too little help, how will this effect you. When you have decided, bring your money to the banker. The banker will record your donations.

Number 1. Your school is holding a Senior formal, but they are running short of money. You think that by helping fund the formal you will be a hero in the eyes of all the senior school students for the rest of your time at school. What ‘cost’ will you sacrifice?

Number 2. A 10 year old girl has been hurt in a car accident and now needs money for rehabilitation to be able to walk again. By donating a large amount of money you know you will have a story written about you in the local newspaper telling your community about your personal sacrifice for this little girl. What ‘cost’ will you sacrifice?

Number 3. A homeless person is standing on the street with a collection tin for donations, you are walking down this street with a large group of people. By donating you may receive social approval from this group and you could give them a positive impression of your kind nature. What ‘cost’ will you sacrifice?

Number 4. You are alone and in a bad mood, you walk into a shopping centre, there is no-one around except for a person from the ‘red shield appeal’ who asks for a donation. What ‘cost’ will you sacrifice?

Number 5. You only have $20 spare for the week, however your next door neighbor who is in grade 6 at school needs money for a school excursion and has asked for your help. What ‘cost’ will you sacrifice?

Number 6. A women has been falsely accused of a crime in Bali and needs help to get a lawyer for her in her trial. What ‘cost’ will you sacrifice?

Number 7. A man is suffering from a rare condition and needs to get medical assistance in America, but he is unable to fund his flights. What ‘cost’ will you sacrifice?

What benefits/rewards were worth the most cost to your groups? What was worth the most sacrifice? Was becoming a hero worth the most? Was elevating self-esteem worth the most? Was social-approval worth the most? Was knowing that you would receive help in return worth the most?

Cost-benefit analysis Not always to do with money. Everyone will sacrifice different amounts depending on what they can give and what they consider the reward to be worth.

Picture for Pro-Social Poster You will need to start collecting some pictures which depict some of the theories, concepts and key terms which have been discussed about pro-social behaviour in order to make a pro-social behaviour poster. Pro-Social Behaviour Situational Factors (noticing, interpreting responsibility) Bystander Effect Social Norms (reciprocity and responsibility) Personal Factors (empathy, mood and competence) Altruism Reluctance to to help (audience inhibition and cost-benefit analysis.

Reflection A close friend needs a kidney donation and you are aware that yours is a match. Do you donate your kidney? Weigh up the personal costs and benefits.