Piliavin et al
Strengths (tips on how to answer below!!!!)
Data
A strength is that the study recorded both quantitative and qualitative data
which provides a more detailed explanation of the events that occurred
during the experiment. For example, the quantitative data included "90% of
helpers were male" and also 62 out of 65 trials the cane victim was helped.
Whereas the qualitative data included remarks made by passengers in each
trial such as "It's for men to help him" or "I don't know where to look!". In
conclusion, use of quantitative data makes a study more objective as
researchers cannot alter the results and the qualitative data allows the
researchers to understand the thoughts and behaviors associated with
helping, in more depth, as we see how participants expressed themselves
and their feelings about the situation.
Design
A strength in the study is that it used an independent measures design which
ensured all participants participated in one level of the independent variable
minimizing the chance of order effects. & The four different levels were
operationalized as the type of victim which was the drunk and ill victim and
the race of the victim which was black or white victim and also the type of
model, early or late which was experienced only once by the sample. In
conclusion the study was conducted in a natural setting with different groups
of passengers in each trip that only encountered the experimental setting
once thus were not subject to demand characteristics and also fatigue
effects.
weaknesses
Ethics
A weakness in the study is the ethical guidelines broken such as deception,
right to withdraw and psychological harm which meant the passengers were
not aware that this was a fake emergency. The participants saw a victim fall
which was not real and they proceeded to help without knowing their data
was being collected. They were enclosed in a train for 7 and a half minutes
witnessing the emergency and could not escape and also, they may have
been distressed by the emergency as seen in comments made such as "I
don't know where to look". In conclusion the study broke ethics which are put