The Bystander Effect
First up in our top ten unethical psychology experiments of all time is a test of the Bystander Effect, classic research that sorted the good Samaritans from the bad eggs. Which of the experiments do you think is worst?
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1970 |
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Why do people stand by and watch others in distress without going to help? |
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Put unwitting volunteers in a range of situations where someone else is in distress and needs help. |
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The more other people that were hanging around in the same area, the less likely the volunteer was to go to someone’s aid. |
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Volunteers were left traumatised by the experiment with deep feelings of shame and guilt. On the other hand, they should have got off their apathetic arses and helped out. |
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1/5 |
More information
The murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964 shocked people everywhere, a young woman was raped and murdered in full view of up to 38 people, and yet no one helped her. The ‘bystander effect’ had kicked into action - the more people who witness an emergency, the less likely anyone is to help.
The murder prompted psychologists Bibb Latané and John Darley to study the bystander effect by simulating an emergency situation.
In one experiment, for example, they invited a number of participants to take part in a discussion via a telecom system, so that they couldn’t see each other. Part way through the discussion, one of the participants – who was actually a stooge planted by the experimenters – appeared to suffer an epileptic seizure and choke.
The experimenters measured how long it took for the volunteers to respond to the apparent emergency. They found that the more people involved in the discussion, the longer it took; some participants made no effort to help at all.
Participants were reported to be in a heightened state of arousal and psychological distress following the experiment, and the feelings were most pronounced in those who didn’t offer to help. The experiment also induced deep feelings of shame and guilt in the participants, which some reported failed to dissipate even after the debrief.
Image: Iwan Beijes
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How about trying one of our other top tens:
How about trying one of our other top tens:- Top Ten Geek Holidays
- Top Ten Stupid Science Studies
- Top Ten Work-related Ills
- Top Ten Killer Vegetables
- Top Ten Weird Drinks
- Top Ten Grim Parasites
- Top Ten Things Science Hasn't Explained
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