Essay

Describe the design, experimental manipulation, and numerical results of the simulated emergency experiment conducted by Darley and Latané to test the bystander effect hypothesis.

Question: Describe the design, experimental manipulation, and numerical results of the simulated emergency experiment conducted by Darley and Latané to test the bystander effect hypothesis.

Sample answer: Darley and Latané tested the bystander effect hypothesis in a laboratory setting by isolating university students in small rooms where they believed they were participating in an intercom discussion. During this discussion, a pre-recorded voice of another student appeared to have an epileptic seizure. The researchers manipulated the perceived number of witnesses. The results demonstrated that as the number of perceived witnesses increased, the percentage of participants who left the room to seek help dropped significantly from 85% to 62% to 31%.

Key points:

  • The study was conducted in a laboratory where university students were isolated in small rooms.
  • Participants believed they were participating in an intercom discussion.
  • The simulated emergency was a pre-recorded voice appearing to have an epileptic seizure.
  • The independent variable was the manipulated number of perceived witnesses.
  • Helping behavior dropped from 85% to 62% to 31% as the perceived number of witnesses increased.

Rubric: A comprehensive recall answer must identify the setting (laboratory, isolated rooms, intercom discussion), the simulated emergency (pre-recorded voice having an epileptic seizure), the independent variable (manipulation of the perceived number of witnesses), and the specific percentage drop in helping behavior (from 85% to 62% to 31% as the number of perceived witnesses increased).

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Updated 2026-05-26

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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