Field Study on Helping Behavior - 1764 Words

Abstract The aim of this field study was to examine helping behavior among passerbies in crowded and non-crowded areas. The study was carried out in an informal manner where the actor would lie down in the given areas, and the observers would record the amount of people who stopped to help or enquire. Due to the concept of the study, the passerby’s were the indirect participants and the objective of the study was discreetly disclosed to each passerby who bent down to offer assistance. Results showed that people tend to show more concern and interest in a less crowded area. Helping behavior among strangers in crowded and non-crowded settings The subject of prosocial behavior became increasingly popular since the 1970’s and†¦show more content†¦Gradually, people will tend to feel less and less responsible for their actions towards other individuals-especially those whom they do not know (Levine, 2003). Other than that, F. Stephen Bridges and Neil P. Coady (1996) carried out a study on helpfulness using a technique called â€Å"lost letters† where 420 lost, stamped letters were â€Å"dropped† carefully and equally in shop isles, besides public pay-phones and sidewalks across Broward County in Florida. A total of 210 letters were dropped in the cities and the remaining 210 in smaller towns across the county, as the aim was to find out which location had a higher return rate of letters. The envelopes consisted of addresses of two normal addresses addressed to â€Å"B. J. Wilson† (control group) and â€Å"Dandee Wilson† as well as three social deviant addresses which were â€Å"Prostitute Education†, â€Å"Legalized Prostitution†, and â€Å"Safer Hustling†. However, out of the 420 letters that were scattered across the county, only 199 were mailed back from both the locations combined. The results took an unexpected twist and showed th at there was a larger figure of return rates from the cities in contrast to the small towns (Bridges amp; Coady, p. 309). The hypothesis is that passerby’s would portray more helping attitudes and behaviors in non-crowded areas and would appear to be less helpful in crowded settings. This is in line with the research conducted by Lattane and Dabbs (1975), suggesting that there is a correlation between the amountShow MoreRelatedThe Field of Psychology840 Words   |  3 Pagesthe human experience. The field of psychology addresses the entire gamut of human behavior and the complexities of emotion. Issues related to perception and cognition are included in psychological research. Neurobiology and neurophysiology also fall under the rubric of psychology. At the same time, psychology embraces less quantifiable variables in the human experience, such as emotional responses and altered states of consciousness. 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