Piliavin's Subway Study

• Who conducted the study on prosocial behavior in 1969?

  Piliavin, Piliavin & Rodin
• What was the main focus of the study conducted by Piliavin et al.?

  The degree of help given to a victim
• What were the two conditions of the victim in the study?

  Drunk or disabled
• What type of research method was used in the study?

  A field experiment
• How many passengers participated in the study?

  4,450 passengers
• What was the demographic breakdown of the participants?

  55% white; 45% black
• During what hours were the study trials conducted?

  11am until 3pm
• How long did the subway journey last?

  1. 5 minutes
• What was the procedure of the study conducted by Piliavin et al.?

  • One carriage occupied by 4 confederates
  • 2 females as observers
  • 1 male model to assist
  • 1 male victim (drunk or cane)
  • Victim collapsed after 70 seconds
  • Model either helped or did nothing
• How many trials were conducted in the study?

  103 trials
• What were the two conditions for the model's response to the victim?

  No help or helping condition
• What were the four different helping conditions in the study?

  1. Critical area early
  2. Critical area late
  3. Adjacent area early
  4. Adjacent area late
• What percentage of trials did the 'cane' condition receive help?

  95%
• How many times did the 'drunk' condition receive help?

  19 out of 38 times
• What was observed regarding same-race helping in the drunk condition?

  More same-race helping occurred
• Who helped more, males or females?

  Males helped more than females
• What conclusion did the researchers draw from the study?

  • Bystander apathy may not always apply
  • Type of victim affects prosocial behavior
  • Drunk victims may seem less deserving of help
• What are the strengths of Piliavin's subway study?

  • High ecological validity
  • Use of two observers for reliability
• What are the weaknesses of Piliavin's subway study?

  • Extraneous variables affecting results
  • Individual differences among participants
  • Possible repeated exposure for some participants
  • Urban setting may influence behavior