Piliavins subway study

• Who proposed the theory of 'diffusion of responsibility'?

  Darley and Latané
• What was the purpose of Piliavin et al.'s research?

  To investigate helping behavior in real life
• What setting did Piliavin et al. use for their study?

  New York subway
• What method did Piliavin et al. use in their experiment?

  Field experiment with covert observation
• What were the two conditions of the victim in the study?

  Drunk and cane
• What was the predicted effect of the victim's responsibility on helping behavior?

  Drunk victims would receive less help
• How did the race of the victim affect helping behavior according to the researchers?

  Same race helping was predicted
• What did previous research suggest about the effect of modeling on helping behavior?

  Seeing others help increases helping behavior
• What was the hypothesis regarding group size and helping behavior?

  More people would lead to less help
• How many trials were conducted in the study?

  103 trials
• What was the racial composition of the subway passengers in the study?

  45% black and 55% white
• What roles did the confederates play in the experiment?

  Model and victim
• What happened when the victim collapsed on the subway?

  He lay on the floor until helped
• What was the dependent variable in the study?

  Helping behavior
• What measures were taken to assess helping behavior?

  Time to help, number of helpers
• What was the outcome for the cane victim in terms of help received?

  Helped in 62 out of 65 trials
• What was the outcome for the drunk victim in terms of help received?

  Helped in 19 out of 38 trials
• What did the results indicate about the diffusion of responsibility?

  It was not evident in the study
• What did the Arousal: Cost vs. Reward model propose?

  Helping reduces unpleasant feelings of arousal
• What factors can increase the state of arousal in bystanders?

  Empathy, proximity, duration of emergency
• What factors can reduce the state of arousal in bystanders?

  Helping, seeking help, leaving the scene
• What ethical issues were associated with Piliavin et al.'s study?

  No informed consent or right to withdraw
• What was a significant finding regarding the gender of helpers?

  90% of helpers were male
• What was the conclusion about the race of the victims and helping behavior?

  Race made no significant difference
• What did the comments from women passengers indicate?

  Feelings of discomfort and helplessness
• How did the findings of Piliavin et al. compare to earlier laboratory studies?

  Helping behavior was much higher
• What was the significance of the study's location on the subway?

  It provided a captive audience for observation
• What did the study reveal about the relationship between group size and helping behavior?

  Quicker help came from larger groups
• What was the impact of the victim's condition on the type of help received?

  Drunk victims received less spontaneous help
• What did Piliavin et al. aim to investigate regarding altruism?

  Whether altruism exists in helping behavior
• What was the main criticism of the field experiment method used?

  Lack of control over variables
• What type of data did the study gather, and what was its significance?

  Qualitative data rich in detail
• What ethical concerns arise from covert observation in this study?

  It lacks informed consent and can cause harm
• What did the study suggest about the motivations behind helping behavior?

  Motivated by reducing unpleasant feelings
• What was the significance of the comments made by passengers during the trials?

  They reflected discomfort and uncertainty
• What did the study reveal about the relationship between the victim's race and helping behavior?

  There was a slight tendency for same race helping
• What was the conclusion regarding the emotional arousal in bystanders?

  It can be perceived as fear, disgust, or sympathy
• What did Piliavin et al. argue about the situation's role in helping behavior?

  The situation determines behavior, not personality
• What was the significance of the study's findings for social psychology?

  It challenged previous theories on helping behavior
• What did the study suggest about the role of embarrassment in helping behavior?

  Embarrassment can be a cost of helping