Pilliavin

• What is the aim of Pilliavins study?

  to investigate how the nature of a situation would affect the helping behaviour of those present
• What was the research method in pilliavins study?

  A field experiment at the New York subway with journeys lasting approx 7.5 mins over 3 months 6-8 times a day
• What were the 4 independent variables in pilliavins study?

  The type of victim (ill or drunk)

  The race of the victim (black or white)

  The effect of a model (How would ps respond when 1 person offered assistance after either 70 or 150 seconds

  Size of witnessing group (naturally occurring IV)
• What are the 6 dependant variables in pilliavins study?

  Frequency of help

  Speed of help

  Race of helper

  Sex of helper

  Movement out of critical area

  Verbal comments by bystanders
• What is the sample of Pilliavins study?

  4,500 men and women using the New York subway on weekdays between 11am and 3pm roughly 45% were black and 55% were white
• What was the procedure of Pilliavins study?

  There were 4 teams of 4 researchers 2 female observers & 2 males - 1 drunk victim and one ill victim ages 26-35 years old

  either smelled of liquor and carried a bottle in a brown bag or appeared sober and had a black cane

  More ill trials than drunk were done

  Victim stood in critical area after 70s staggered forwards and collapsed and remained on the floor till help came

  6-8 trials done a day
• what were the 4 model conditions in Pilliavins study?

  Critical area - early model stand in critical area helps early in journey

  Critical area - late model stand in critical area helps later in journey

  Adjacent area - early model stand in adjacent area help quick into journey

  Adjacent area - late model stand in adjacent area and help later into journey
• What apparatus was used in Pilliavins study?

  Black cane for ill victim

  bottle wrapped in brown paper bag for drunk victim

  Stopwatch to measure time taken to respond

  Notepad to record observations
• What quantitative results were found in Pilliavins study?

  Spontaneous help without a model was 95% for the ill victim and 50% for the drunk victim

  No evidence of diffusion of responsibility was found
• What qualitative results were found in Pilliavins study?

  More comments were made by passengers in the drunk condition and female passengers said "it's a mans job to help" or "I'd help I'm just not strong enough"
• What conclusions were made after Pilliavins research?

  When passengers are face-to-face with a victim they are more likely to help and diffusion of responsibility is less likely

  An ill victim is more likely to receive help than those who appear drunk as it is self-induced and they are less worthy of help

  Bystanders conduct a cost-reward analysis before deciding top help a victim or not