Your Name(s):

PSYC 110 Section(s):

Bystander Effect Exercise (15 Points)

The bystander effect is the finding that when an emergency arises, an individual (i.e., bystander) is less likely to help when other people are known to be around, compared to when the individual is the only person around. This was made infamous by the Catherine Susan “Kitty” Genovese murder in Queens, NY in 1964, in which Ms. Genovese was repeatedly stabbed and then sexually assaulted in front of as many as 38 witnesses without a single person calling the police or helping until after the attack. John Darley and Bibb Latané conducted research on this and determined bystanders suffer from a diffusion of responsibility when they witness an emergency. That is, individuals believe that others will help so they do nothing, but because other individuals think this same thing, no individual helps.

This assignment will have you try to cause the bystander effect. Working with one or two partners, one member of your group should walk past students and drop some papers, books, pencils, or some other school-related items. You may want to use blank notebooks or old papers, to avoid losing anything important. Don’t make it obvious; act like it was an accident. You should do this at least two times; once near a small “group” (1-2 students) and once with a larger group (5+ students). As the individual (victim) in your group drops his/her materials, the other member(s) should, as inconspicuous as possible, record some information (see below).

You should have no more than three people in your group including you. The group may consist of students from your section and/or students in my other PSYC 110 section. Avoid making the small vs. large group observations in the same time frame. Also, this must be done on campus, but do not do this in a class, so as to avoid disruption. You can do this inside a dorm, library, gym, or anywhere you can think. Be creative! Also, you don’t have to use school supplies; drop a pair of shoes or do something else. You may want your “observers” set up a few minutes in advance of the “emergency drop”.

Data to be Recorded	Small Group	Large Group	Other Group
Location on Campus
Time of Day
Sex of Victim1
Group Size2
Number Males2
Number Females2
Total Coming to Help
Time to First Response
Sex of First Helper
Time to Second Response
Sex of Second Helper
1This is the sex of your group member playing the victim (i.e., the “dropper”) in the scenario. 2 This refers to the number in the group that you are observing.

What did you find out? Were there any sex differences? Did you observe the bystander effect? Explain your results.