Summary Of The Bystander Effect

An electric shock would be used on these people, according to a 7-point scale that would determine how uncomfortable they felt with 7 being the highest. Shocks, were delivered to their dominant hand with voltages ranging from 40 to 75 volts. The participants looked at a computer screen that had only two potential task before completing a shock. The participants in this experience were being told that the confederate in the other room was controlling/selecting the task for the participant to complete.

After watching the original 1962 Stanley Milgram experiment it is interesting to see how people ended up getting to the highest possible shock. I find that

Each time the question asked was answered incorrectly the voltage of shock would be increased. The “student” had been an actor hired to react to each shock, as the shock was to increase so did their reactions to appeal to the “teacher’s” empathy. When the “teachers” had reached a dangerous high voltage and continued to do so it demonstrated a form of blind authority. Blind authority is obeying the law only because it is a law, convinced your actions are okay because one is obeying orders of an authority greater than man. It is apparent that this is blind authority due to the “teachers” questioning if they should continue the experiment and demonstrating feeling guilt or discomfort in their task given. Although the “teachers” may have felt their task given was wrong they continued to do so because a figure of authority assured them it was okay, they were following the rules

I wanted to help because I thought it was the right thing and I don’t want to see people suffer.

There has been many variations of this experiment also. For example, the teacher was free to choose the shock level and thirty-eight of the forty subjects did not go above 150 volts. Another example would be when the experimenter gave the instructions by telephone. Only one third of the subjects were obedient in this version of the experiment. The subjects found it easier to disobey when they were not face to face with the experimenter.

Hi Shlanda- Thank you for your response! Yes, you are correct in any situation that bystanders are more likely to help because they are dealing with just one individual and a medical condition being present, but when more individuals are already present to help out I can agree with you that most individuals at that point would mind their own business and go on with their

Creating an electronic shock generator machine that contained 30 switches, each labeled with a voltage (v) of shock one would receive. Labeled from 15v to 450v, test subjects would be notified by mail or a newspaper ad, and intentionally mislead to believe to be taking part in a “memory and learning” study. Upon arrival, the men were assured compensation, regardless of happenings after the experiment started, then would draw a paper, identifying their position within the experiment, either the teacher or the learner. However, the person who selected learner was predetermined, and was a trained actor. The gentleman who selected as the teacher, was unknown to the fact that, he was the main subject of this research.

In the experiment, a person is given the task to ask another person, who is in a separate room, a question. If the person gets the question wrong, they are given an electrical shock. A higher voltage shock is given if the questions are answered incorrectly. A scream is heard every time the shock occurs. The person believes they are really shocking the person answering the questions.

Starting at the 180 volt mark, he began to show signs of distress at the learners remarks of pain. However, due to the experimenter urging him to continue, he went on giving electrical shocks up to the 450 volt mark. Because of these results, Milgram’s study was questioned. Critics believed his subjects, Yale Undergraduates, were not “ordinary people.” His experiment was then replicated in Munich, Princeton, Rome, South Africa, and Australia with the same results.

The control panel was adorned with 30 switches, labeled from 15 volts or a slight shock to 450 volts, which was labeled “XXX”, implying a lethal dose of voltage. However, the voltage was labeled incorrectly and inflated as to intimidate the subject. As the rooms were adjacent, the subject could hear Milgram’s colleagues cry out in agony when they were shocked, and the subject began to start questioning the researcher about the condition of their “student” and asked, and eventually demanded that they could leave. Each time, the researcher would provide a prod to continue forth. If one prod was disobeyed, then the researcher would escalate to the next prod. The prods were “1. Please continue.”, 2. “The experiment requires that you continue.”, 3. “It is absolutely essential that you continue.”, and 4. “You have no other choice than to continue.”

gathering around in shock. The ambulance makes it there within five minutes, and you tell them

At this point, the Teacher and Learner were separated into different rooms where they could communicate but not see each other. The Teacher was then given an electric shock from the electro-shock generator as a sample what the Learner would supposedly to receive during the experiment. After the Teacher was given a list of word pairs which he was to teach the Learner. The Teacher began by reading the list of word pairs to the learner. The teacher would then read the first word of each pair and read four possible answers. To respond the Learner would press a button to indicate their answer, if the answer was wrong the teacher would shock the Learner with the voltage increasing by 15-volts for each wrong answer, if correct the Teacher would read the next word pair. The subjects believed that for each wrong answer the Learner was receiving actual shocks. In reality, there were no shocks. After a series of wrong answers the Learner would start complaining about their heart, afterwards there would be no response from the Learner at all. Many people indicated their desire to stop the experiment and check on the learner at this point in the experiment. Some paused at 135 volts and began to question the purpose of the experiment, while most continued after being assured that they would not be held responsible. A few subjects even began to laugh nervously or exhibit other signs of extreme stress when they heard the screams of the

The experiment was carried out by 40 males between the ages of 20 and 50. They drew straws to be placed into two separate groups, “learners”or ”teachers”. The learners had to go into a separate and sit in an electric chair and answer and then answer a series of questions.The teachers were then instructed to ask the learner a series of questions and if they answer incorrectly they will receive an electric shock from the chair. For each question answered incorrectly the teacher raises

Heavy equipment may be used to free the victim All workers should go to the accident area to assist the rescue First aid should only

If someone were to be in distress, or in harm 's way, any person that were to witness such event, would help the victim, right? Unfortunately, that is not always the case. A commonly asked question is, why is that? Well the answer to that question is what is commonly known as, The Bystander Effect. First of all, a bystander, is a person who is present at an event, or incident, but does not take part. (Dictionary.com) This phenomenon has been pondered and experimented upon for decades. "The term bystander effect refers to the phenomenon in which the greater the number of people present, the less likely people are to help a person in distress.” (Kendra Cherry 1) The bystander effect has taken a toll upon very many people. It is very common amongst individuals across the entire world.”A famous case occurred in the early 1960’s, where Kitty Genovese was attacked and eventually murdered over a forty-five minute period during which thirty-eight people witnessed the attack and did not lift a finger to help in any way.” (Pluralistic ignorance 1) It is sad to think that not one single person would do anything to help this woman. The bystander effect takes away one’s ability to comprehend the humane action in any hostile situation. There have been tremendous amounts of studies and experiments that have been based upon this phenomenon. “Report of this event shocked the city and the nation, and became the impetus for research on the psychological phenomenon that became known as the