Piliavin (Social Area)

Question 1

Piliavin Background

Answer 1

Kitty Genovese was stabbed in 3 separate attacks while 38 witnesses watched and did nothing which left her to die. She was screaming “oh my god he stabbed him” but no one was helping as they just all assumed other people would have called the police. This is known as diffusion of responsibility.

Question 2

Piliavin Hypothesis

Answer 2

1. Type of victim (drunk/ill with cane) - predicted ill would get more help
2. Race of victim (black/white) - predicts that people will help the same race
3. number of witnesses - predicted less witnesses would help
4. someone setting an example of helping behaviour - seeing a model would encourage others to help.

Question 3

Piliavin Research method

Answer 3

It was a field experiment that took place in a New York subway which is a real life setting

Question 4

Piliavin IV

Answer 4

Victim Conditions:
- black or white
- drunk or ill

Model Conditions:
- early or late (critical area)
- early or late (adjacent area)

Question 5

Piliavin DV

Answer 5

• time taken for 1st person to help
• total number of passengers who helped
• gender, race, location of help

Question 6

Piliavin Procedure

Answer 6

An express train from 8th Avenue between 59th and 125th street from 11am-3pm on a weekday for 3 months
1) 70 seconds into journey, victim would collapse in a critical area
2) After 70-150 an informally dressed white male model would help the victim
3) two female observers were sat in the adjacent area recoding variables such as sex, race, location of helpers

there were 103 trials and the train journey was 7.5 train journey.
38 trials - “drunk” smelled of alcohol
65 trials - “ill” appeared sober and carried a cane

Question 7

Piliavin Sample

Answer 7

• approx 4450 passengers over 3 months
• 45% black and 55% white
• mean number of passengers per carriage was 43

Question 8

Piliavin Sampling method

Answer 8

an opportunity sample as it was passengers who happened to be there in the New York subway during the time

Question 9

Piliavin Quantitative results

Answer 9

• ill victims received help 95% 62/65
• drunk received help 50% 19/38
• 5 seconds to help ill
• 109 seconds to help drunk
• 90% first helpers were male
  -34 people left

Question 10

Piliavin Qualitative results

Answer 10

• race did not have an effect on who helped who. blacks had slightly less help but was not significant
• models were rarely needed
• the number of bystanders made no difference
• observers heard woman say ‘ its for men to help’

Question 11

Piliavins conclusions

Answer 11

• the state of victim affects how likely people are to help
• males are more likely to help than females- - no diffusion of responsibility