Piliavin’s 1969 Study (Subway Samaritan)
Directions: Answer the questions below as you follow along with our lesson. This will be
counted as a grade once we complete the entire study.
Social Approach Assumptions:
• Behavior, cognitions, and emotions can be influenced by:
1. Other people
2. Groups or social context
Vocabulary:
1. Bystander - a person who is present at, but ,a
particular situation.
2. Bystander Effect –
3. Diffusion of responsibility –
o In simpler terms, a person is less likely to take action in an emergency when
there are others there also able to help.
o ** A possible explanation for the bystander effect **
4. Field Experiment –
Piliavin’s 1969 Study (Subway Samaritan)
5. Cost-benefit model –
o If it seems beneficial to help, then they are more inclined to do so. If risks are
too great, they may refrain.
Synopsis of Subway Samaritans Study:
1. Looks at how bystanders behave in real life situations and factors that affect their
desire to help, including diffusion of responsibility.
Background of Study:
1. Whose murder inspired the idea of the bystander effect?
2. How many witnesses saw her murder and did not telephone the police or went to help?
O
3. Why do you think people might have been reluctant to get involved?
o They don’t want to get hurt themselves
4. With studies such as “a lady in distress”, “an epileptic seizure” and “the smoke-
filled room experiment”, what were psychologists Darley and Latane researching?
o
5. What did Latane and Darley say determines whether people will help or not?
o If we see it as our personal responsibility to do so
Piliavin’s 1969 Study (Subway Samaritan)
Aim:
1.
2.
3. What were the 4 variables that Piliavin wanted to explore as it related to
helping behavior?
Sample/Participants:
1. How many P’s were used in this study?
o
2. What days & times was this study done on?
o
3. Racial composition of the sample was?
o
4. Explain the sampling technique used for this study.
o
Research Method & Design:
1. Explain how this study used an independent groups design (the answer is not on
the PPT).
o
2. What research method was used for this study?
o
3. What makes this research method different from a lab experiment?
o
Piliavin’s 1969 Study (Subway Samaritan)
IV & DV:
1. 4 IV’s: which corresponded to the factors outlined in the aims of the study. They
were operationalized as:
DV:
2. What are some ways we could collect quantitative data if we were recording the amount
of passengers who helped?
o
o
3. What are some ways that we could record qualitative data in this study?
o
o
Procedure:
1. The 4 teams of student researchers who carried out the study consisted of:
2. How many trials were there in total of this study?
3. Where did the female confederates sit?
4. What was the role/task of the female confederates?
Piliavin’s 1969 Study (Subway Samaritan)
5. What was the role of the male confederates?
6. Where were the 2 locations a male confederate would be?
7. Write at least 3 examples of standardization you see in the procedures:
8. What were some details about the victim (male stooge)?
9. How many trials were conducted for the “drunk” victim?
10. Modeled trials were split into the following categories:
Results:
1. Males helped the victim more than .
2. Ill vs drunk conditions:
Piliavin’s 1969 Study (Subway Samaritan)
3. Race of victim:
4. Diffusion of Responsibility:
a. Number of bystanders provided for diffusion of responsibility.
i. There was a mild effect in the opposite direction – when more
passengers were present, people were slightly to
receive help
Conclusions (IN YOUR OWN WORDS)
1. What would the conclusion be as it relates to helping someone who is ill or someone
who is drunk?
2. What would the conclusion be as it relates to genders helping genders?
3. What would the conclusion be as it relates to helping one’s ethnic group?
Piliavin’s 1969 Study (Subway Samaritan)
4. What was the conclusion of diffusion of responsibility in this study?
Evaluation:
Issues & Debates:
1. Applications to Everyday Life -
2. Individual & Situational Explanations -
Piliavin’s 1969 Study (Subway Samaritan)
