#4c & 4d concept of bystander effect + study: Group inhibition of bystander intervention in emergencies – smoke filled room (Latane and Darley, 1968)

Bystander Effect

• Where bystanders fail to help someone in need when in the presence of others

• The Effect proposes that the more people present, the less likely help will be offered.

study: Group inhibition of bystander intervention in emergencies – smoke filled room (Latane and Darley, 1968) aim and predictions

An individual, seeing the inaction of others, will judge the situation as less serious than he would if he were alone

• We predict that an individual faced with the passive reactions of other people will be influenced by them, and thus be less likely to take action than if he were alone

• If we expose groups of naive subjects to an emergency, the constraints on behaviour in public coupled with the social influence process will lessen the likelihood that the members of the group will act to cope with the emergency

study: Group inhibition of bystander intervention in emergencies – smoke filled room (Latane and Darley, 1968) method and subjects

Sampling method:

• Convenience sampling

Recruitment:

• Male Columbia students living in campus residences were invited to an interview to discuss “some of the problems involved in life at an urban university.

Materials:

• Preliminary questionnaire and titanium dioxide

Design:

• Independent variable- whether participants were alone (control group), in a group with other participants, or in a group with confederates.

• Dependent variable- the time it the participant stayed in the room, before leaving to report the smoke

study: Group inhibition of bystander intervention in emergencies – smoke filled room (Latane and Darley, 1968) procedure

• Participants contacted over the phone to be interviewed about the disadvantages of attending urban university

• Those who voluntarily attended were divided into 3 groups: sitting alone, sitting with two other participants or sitting with two confederates.

• Participant directed to a waiting room with a few chairs and one-way mirror

• Filled out preliminary questionnaire, as requested by a sign in the room

• Once participants completed 2 pages, the experimenter released a stream of titanium dioxide particles through a vent in the wall, producing what looked like smoke from a fire

• Confederates were instructed to take notice of smoke, then resume filling out questionnaire and avoid conversing with the participant

• Experiment concluded after participant left the room to report the smoke, or 6 minutes from the time the participant noticed the smoke

• Then interviewed about their thought process during the incident

study: Group inhibition of bystander intervention in emergencies – smoke filled room (Latane and Darley, 1968) key findings

• 75% of participants who were alone reported the smoke

• 38% of participants who were in a group of three reported the smoke

• 10% of participants who were in a group with two passive confederates reported the smoke

• Most participants explained that they did not act because they did not believe there was an emergency

study: Group inhibition of bystander intervention in emergencies – smoke filled room (Latane and Darley, 1968) contribution

• Research at the time of the experiment focused on the relationship between bystanders and the victim, with results from the research encouraging further research to explore the relationship among bystanders

• Understanding how the presence of others in an emergency affects bystander behaviour can help reduce the negative outcomes of such events.

study: Group inhibition of bystander intervention in emergencies – smoke filled room (Latane and Darley, 1968) criticisms/limitations

• Not generalisable: only white male college students

• Low external validity: not done in a ‘real-world’ scenario

• Physical harm: titanium dioxide is harmful