Levine

• Previous research suggested that individuals living in urban areas tended to be less helpful than those in rural areas.
• Steblay found that a decline in helping rate begins at a population of 300,000 but that in rural environments of 5,000 or less were the worst places to look for help.
• Collectivist cultures attend to the needs and the goals of the group.

  Individualist cultures focus on their own needs over the needs of the group.

  Simpatia cultures value friendliness, family values and helping others.
• Levine wanted to look across cultures as there was a lack of previous cross-cultural research.
• Levine wanted to investigate:

  • Whether helping behaviour is stable across all emergency and non-emergency situations,
  • Cross cultural differences in helping behaviour,
  • Differences based on community variables (pace of life, collectivist/individualist/simpatia, economic wellbeing, and population size.
• Levine looked at 23 large cities across different countries e.g. Kuala Lumpar, Rio de Janeiro, and NYC.
• Procedure:

  • Research partners and students from these different cultures were used when they were visiting back home,
  • Levine standardised the 3 helping situations and got the partners to practice so they would all act the same,
  • Each scenario took place in a fairly busy area of each city,
  • Each bystander was only chosen if they were alone and physically able to help.
• 3 Helping Situations:

  1. Dropped pen - confederate dropped a pen in front of a bystander who was helping if they gave the pen back or told them they dropped their pen,
  2. Hurt leg - confederate wore a leg brace and carry a pile of magazines which they would drop and struggle to pick up. A bystander was helping if they physically helped or offered to help,
  3. Blind man - confederate had dark glasses and a white cane, they would stand on the edge of a road and act as though they were about to walk out when it was unsafe. A bystander was helping if they physically or verbally made the confederate stop.
• Levine found:

  • There was consistency across helping situations in cultures - except in NYC,
  • Significant cross cultural helping differences - Rio most helpful (mean rate = 93%) and Kuala Lumpur least helpful (mean rate = 40%),
  • Simpatia countries were the most helpful.
  • There was a negative correlation between wealth of country and helping rate.
• Levine concluded that the wealthier the culture the less helpful they are. Individualist cultures are taught to look after themselves so they don't help strangers in need. On the other hand simpatia values of friendliness and family values encourages people to help others.