Summary
Piliavin et al: Good Samaritanism: an underground
phenomenon?
Context
After Kitty Genovese’s murder in New York,
Darley and Latané (1968) and Latané and
Rodin (1969) conducted a series of
experiments that introduced the Theory of
“Bystander Apathy” because of the
“diffusion of responsibility”. In other words,
a negative event, such as a public attack on a
person or a person falling ill on the street and
collapsing and needing help, was less likely to
result in such help being given if there were many witnesses than if
there were few. In fact the fewer the
witnesses, the more help was given. If
many people saw an attack, for example,
each one was likely to believe that others
had already called for help, were assisting,
or had decided it was not an emergency
situation. Anyway, the result was the
same: INACTION. Many of these studies
were conducted in the Laboratory. Piliavin et al.’s study moved the
research into the field.
Aim
To investigate the effect of the following variables on helping
behaviour:
, Type of Victim (Drunk or with a
Cane/Ill).
Race of Victim (black or white).
Whether people are more likely to help
in an emergency situation if they
have seen someone else displaying
helping behaviour (Modelling).
The relationship of group size (Diffusion
of Responsibility).
Hypothesis
The ‘ill/cane-wielder’ would receive significantly more help
than a ‘drunk victim’.
A bystander will be more likely to help a victim of their own
race than a person of another race.
Seeing another person (Model) help would lead to more
helping behaviour from the bystander than when a model did
not step in to help.
Participants
Around 4,500 men and women who travelled
on the 8th avenue IND in New York City,
between 59th and 125th Street, travelling
through Harlem to the Bronx. The
experiment was done between 11.00am and
3.00pm during the period of April 15th to
June 26th, 1968, weekdays, 53 days in total.
Racial makeup on the subway was:
45% Black.
55% White.
The Mean number of people per car during these hours was 43. The
Mean number of people in the ‘critical area’ was 8.5, this is where
the incident took place.
Piliavin et al: Good Samaritanism: an underground
phenomenon?
Context
After Kitty Genovese’s murder in New York,
Darley and Latané (1968) and Latané and
Rodin (1969) conducted a series of
experiments that introduced the Theory of
“Bystander Apathy” because of the
“diffusion of responsibility”. In other words,
a negative event, such as a public attack on a
person or a person falling ill on the street and
collapsing and needing help, was less likely to
result in such help being given if there were many witnesses than if
there were few. In fact the fewer the
witnesses, the more help was given. If
many people saw an attack, for example,
each one was likely to believe that others
had already called for help, were assisting,
or had decided it was not an emergency
situation. Anyway, the result was the
same: INACTION. Many of these studies
were conducted in the Laboratory. Piliavin et al.’s study moved the
research into the field.
Aim
To investigate the effect of the following variables on helping
behaviour:
, Type of Victim (Drunk or with a
Cane/Ill).
Race of Victim (black or white).
Whether people are more likely to help
in an emergency situation if they
have seen someone else displaying
helping behaviour (Modelling).
The relationship of group size (Diffusion
of Responsibility).
Hypothesis
The ‘ill/cane-wielder’ would receive significantly more help
than a ‘drunk victim’.
A bystander will be more likely to help a victim of their own
race than a person of another race.
Seeing another person (Model) help would lead to more
helping behaviour from the bystander than when a model did
not step in to help.
Participants
Around 4,500 men and women who travelled
on the 8th avenue IND in New York City,
between 59th and 125th Street, travelling
through Harlem to the Bronx. The
experiment was done between 11.00am and
3.00pm during the period of April 15th to
June 26th, 1968, weekdays, 53 days in total.
Racial makeup on the subway was:
45% Black.
55% White.
The Mean number of people per car during these hours was 43. The
Mean number of people in the ‘critical area’ was 8.5, this is where
the incident took place.
