Unit 4, topic 2 Flashcards
what was Bibb Latane and John Darley’s hypothesis for bystander effect
when people are in the presence of other people, we are less likely to intervene in an emergency
explain experiment 1 from Latane of Darley
they recruited college students to participate in an innocent talk with other college students.
each participant was given headphones and a microphone and stayed alone in a room, talking to other students through the intercom. participants were told this was done to protect anonymity.
the themes of the convos were life problems.
recruits were divided into 3 groups - the first group though they were talking to one on one with another person, second though they were talking with two other people, third group though they were talking in a group of five people.
at a certain point in the convo, a person in the intercome started acting as if he was having a seizure and asked for help. Latane and Darley wanted to investigate the difference in behaviour in each group.
results: when participants thought they were they only ones that could help. 85% of them left the room and sought assistance.
when they thought there were other 2 bystanders with them, that number dropped 64%,
in the situation with four bystanders, only 31% of bystanders sought help.
explain experiment 2 of latane and darley
latane and darley once again recruited college students this time to fill out a questionare.
participants were sorted into two groups, 1) filling out the questionnaire alone in a room and 2) participants filling out the questionnaire with many confederates in teh room who were also filling out the questionnaire.
after afew minutes, black smoke started to creep out of the rooms air conditioner. it got thicker and thicker until the room was filled with smoke.
confederates were instructed to seem unbothered.
results:
alone condition - 75% left the room and sought the researchers.
with confederates - 10% left the room, took the twice the time for those people to leave compared in the alone condition.
what are the three factors that influence bystander effect and define them
diffusion of responsibility -as the number of bystanders increases, the personal responsibility that an individual bystander feels decreases
audience inhibition - A bystander may choose not to intervene in an emergency because they are afraid of embarrassing themselves in front of other people. in the presence of others makes them self conscious - social judgement.
social influence - the reactions of others will affect the likelihood of helping.
what is the process bystanders go through in emergency and behavioural situations
- notice that something is happening
- interpret the situation as an emergency
- assume a degree of responsibility
- chose a form of assistance
- take action
what makes us likely to help people and show altruistic behaviour
similarity - we are more likely to help those who are in some way like ourselves. this could be regarding gender, ethnicity, clothes, beliefs etc.
consequences - when we think there will be strong consequences for our intervention, we are less likely to act.
familiarity with the environment - we are more likely to intervene in situations in places we are familiar with.
define pro social behaviour
the broad range of actions intended to benefit people others than oneself - behaviour as helping comforting sharing and cooperating.
what is the social responsibility norm
why may people not abide by this norm
a societal rule that tells people they should help others who need help even if doing so is costly.
- may not have learned norm.
- norm is one of many that conflicts with others eg: mind your own business.
- norms are too general and do not apply to specific situations/ do not know how to apply them in given situations.
what is the reciprocity norm
the implicit societal rule that says people must help those who have helped them.
define empathy
is the ability to feel/imagine another persons emotional experience. it is a potential motivator for helping others in distress.
- important to social and emotional development.
- influences behaviour toward others and social relationships.
define mood
people who are in a good mood are more likely to demonstrate prosocial behaviour
- research has also found that when people are depressed they are more likely to focus inwardly towards themselves rather than outwardly to help others in need.
define competence
people’s confidence in their skills and abilities to deal with the situation can affect the likelihood of assisting.
define altruism
Altruistic behaviour is typically selfless and concerned with the welfare of others.
no personal gain and sometimes at great personal cost
why do people engage in antisocial behaviour
biological - genetic components (EG: aggression) where humans instinctively behave to protect themselves and other members of their species, and to compare for scarce resources.
environmental - this is the behaviour is not innate, but is learnt during the socialisation process. it suggests that COC and observational learning contribute to the development of antisocial behaviour.
the interaction between nature and nurture - this approach suggests that although we might be born with an innate tendency to some forms of antisocial behaviour, exactly how we act in antisocial ways is the product of both genetics and the interaction.
what are factors that influence antisocial behaviour
groupthink - refers to the tendency of group members to make decisions based on maintaining group cohesion rather than critically analysing a situation.
eg: racism, prejudice,
cost - benefit analysis - is a model of behaviour that suggests bystanders are confronted with an emergency, they weigh up pros and cons before reacting.
