Diffusion of responsibility in bystander intervention to party rape

Latane, B., Darley, J. (1968). Bystander intervention in emergencies: Diffusion of responsibility. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 8(4): 377 -- 383. doi: 10.1037/h0025589

Your More Recent Study: Katz, J. (2015). Effects of group status and victim sex on male bystanders\' responses to a potential party rape. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 24(5): 588-602. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2015.1029184

Classic and Modern Study Questions

Responses for Classic Study

Responses for Modern Study

Similarities and Differences Between Your Two Responses

Citation for studies in APA style

Y

Y

What is the research question or hypothesis in this study?

How does the presence of others reduce the feelings of responsibilities to intervene to help another?

Does it matter whether a potential bystander is alone, or a member of a group, in a potential intervention?

Katz (2015) builds upon Latane (1968) to further study bystander motivations in more detail.

Name two studies referenced in this article that greatly contributed to the main theme of this article.

Milgram & Hollander (1964)

Aronfreed, 1964

Krebs, Lindquist, Warner, Fisher, and Martin

(2007)

Milgram was a pioneer in psychology. Krebs is building on this foundation.

What type of research method was used in this study? Correlation? Experiment?

This was an actual experiment. A college student arrived in the laboratory and was ushered into an individual room from which a communication system would enable him to talk to the other participants.

Undergraduate students were recruited online from a voluntary subject pool for an anonymous study of party situations. Data collection was self-reported surveys in 1 of 4 different scenarios.

Using an experimental design is more effective, however there are ethical concerns that prevent many experiments for contemporary researchers.

Were the measures used in your study reliable and valid? Explain.

Researchers determined response time in different circumstances. Used different survey\'s after the experiment.

Multivariate, univariate analysis of survey data

The later description had to use descriptions of the events, rather than enacting them.

What were the main results/conclusions in this study?

The number of bystanders that the subject perceived to be present had a major effect on the likelihood with which she would report the emergency.

Therefore, it appears that perceived psychological proximity of imagined peers, not merely the imagined presence of peers, might inhibit men as bystanders.

Furthermore, bystanders were less willing to intervene in situations involving a potential male victim than in situations involving a potential female victim.

The first study provides evidence for the basic

Did this study have ethical problems? If so, name them.

Yes, the experiment could have been traumatizing to the victims.

Not likely, the participants were fully monitored and debriefed afterwards.

Direct experiments are typically more insightful, but also at risk for ethical problems.

How does this research help improve people\'s social well-being/social welfare?

Latane, B., Darley, J. (1968) helped to understand the basic bystander factors that contribute to feelings of personal responsibility.

Katz (2015) builds upon this foundation by investigating more refined variables such as perceived peers and gender.

Katz is investigating a more focused application of the same basic principle.