First Hour - What do the phenomena of “bystander intervention” and “obedience to authority” reveal about the social determinants of behavior? Dispositions vs. situations – one of the “BIG” questions in psychology The Kitty Genovese story Latané and Darley’s experiments on bystander intervention Group size Pluralistic ignorance Diffusion of responsibility Obedience to authority: Milgram’s experiments Social Psychology 1

Latané and Darley: Effect of perceived group size on one’s likelihood to intervene — — — — — ———— — Number of others that one believed were available to respond Proportion responding to emergency Subject alone with victim Subject with victim + 1 other Subject with victim + 4 others

1. Do I notice the event? if no No help given: I am assuming no help is needed. if no No help given: I am assuming others will help. if no No help given: I do not know what to do. 2. Do I interpret the event as an emergency? if yes 3. Do I decide that I am responsible for intervening? if yes 4. Do I decide what to do and how to do it? if yes 5. Decide on how to help. if yes if no No help given: I am unaware that help might be needed. Latané and Darley’s 5-step decision model of intervention

Ambiguity Pluralistic ignorance Diffusion of responsibility Factors the increase the likelihood of helping behaviour Factors that reduce the likelihood of helping behaviour The presence of blood Gender of the victim Bystanders know each other Bystanders share a bond with the victim Bystanders have knowledge of the bystander effect

Experimenter Subject (teacher) Actor (student)

Results of alternate experimental manipulations: (in order of conditions generating increasing percentages of subjects giving the maximum shock) 8. Remote victim. 65% obedience (baseline condition) 1. Two authorities contradicting each other. 2. Authority also being the victim. 3. Free to choose the shock level. 4. Two of the subject’s peers “rebel.” 5. Remote authority. 6. Proximity within range of touch. 7. Proximity beyond range of touch. 10. A peer administers the shocks. 9. Two authorities, one as the victim. 3-10% obedience 20-30% obedience 65-90% obedience