Pilavin (conclusions)

Question 1

What was the overall conclusion of the study?

Answer 1

• In a natural setting, many people would offer spontaneous help to a stranger even in a group situation
• The study found no evidence of the diffusion of responsibility and proposes the cost-benift model as an alternative.
• The study found 4 situational factors which influenced a persons decistion to help

Question 2

Spontaneous help

Answer 2

helped before model intervened/ in no model condtions

Question 3

The study found 4 situational factors that influenced a persons decistion to help

Answer 3

1. Type of victim (someone using a cane will be more helped than a drunk person)
2. Gender of helper (men are more likely to help than women )
3. The simiarlity of the victim to the helper (people are more likely to help people of the same race especially if their drunk)
4. The duration of an emergency ( The longer an emergency continues the less likely people will help (actually more likely to find another way to deal with arousanl

Question 4

Name the 4 situational factors that the study found that influenced a persons decistion to help.

Answer 4

• Type of victim
• Gender of helper
• The similarity of victim
• Duration of an emergency

Question 5

Pilavin introduced the Cost-benifit model as an alternative to the diffusion of responsibility and explain the results of the study. Explain this model

Answer 5

• The model explores the decion making process behind helping behaviour where an individual weighs up the potential costs and rewards when deciding to help someone.
• Suggesting that during an emergency situation an individual’s level of arousal increases which prompts the individual to reduce their diffcult feelings in some way (helping or ignoring the situation)
• In the study, passengers would make more comments (especially during drunk victim trials) , or move away from critical area (20%) to cope with difficult feelings.