Beaman et al

Aim

investigated whether people can be taught to overcome bystander apathy and be "trained to be a helper."

Background

Three factors that negatively influence our willingness to help:

1. Diffusion of responsibility - when there are other people present, we assume that someone else will help. So, the more people present, the less likely one is to help.

2. Informational social influence - a form of conformity in which we figure out how to behave by watching the behaviour of others. In the case of helping behaviour, if others don't help, we won't either.

3. Evaluation apprehension - the fear of social criticism for helping in a situation where helping was unnecessary.

The following study wanted to see if students were actually taught about these three factors, would they be more willing to help a person in need in help.

Procedure

-80 into to psych students (20 in each condition)

-conditions:

1. The helping film: 50-minute film to explain Latané and Darley helping model. (The film explained several reasons why people often do not help - and simulated the classic studies that were done)

2. The helping lecture: 50-minute lecture based on film. (outlined model/ explained studies)

3. The obesity and emotion lecture: 50-minute lecture on emotional factors in obesity.

4. Control group: not exposed to any treatments

-They then answered a questionnaire about what they learned. (control to make sure that they paid attention to the lecture or film)

-2 weeks later asked to take part I'm another study on communication. Show up with a girl confederate and go to a room with recording equipment.

-sign on the door indicating to go to another room. Male confederate laying on the floor and the women confederate was instructed to not say anything about the man to see if the participant would help or not (call out to them, mention the man to the women or the researcher, etc.)

Results

-No significant different between the rate of helping between film vs lecture (42.5%)

-no significant difference between the control lecture (obesity) and the control condition (neither film nor lecture). The helping rate was 25%.

-The researchers found no significant difference between male and female rates of helping.

-teaching about helping behaviour may have a positive effect on prosocial behaviour.

Implications

The study is a good example of experimental design in the study of social responsibility.

Evaluation

-can infer cause and effect relationship

-deception is an ethical consideration

-sampling biased- all US Psych students

Type of Experiment

-experimental in design