Zvi comments on Why Don't People Help Others More? - Less Wrong

36 Post author: peter_hurford 13 August 2012 11:34PM

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Comment author: Wei_Dai 14 August 2012 10:37:49AM 10 points [-]

With only one student taking the survey, 70% of them stopped what they were doing and offered assistance. However, when there were two students taking the survey, this number dropped down dramatically. Most noticeably, when the group was two students -- but one of the students was a stooge who was in on it and would always not respond, the response rate of the non-stooge participant was only 7%.

Somebody probably broke their leg next door behind just a curtain, and only 70% of the study subjects would go help? And only 7% would help if another person is in the room and the other person doesn't go? Is anyone else very surprised by how low these numbers are? I would have expected something like 95% and 50%.

Comment author: Zvi 14 August 2012 02:56:54PM 1 point [-]

I am curious if they collected data for how often they said something on the assumption the other researcher should go, especially if they saw the back as private.

Comment author: endoself 14 August 2012 05:52:48PM *  2 points [-]

The subjects were (falsely) told that the other researcher was another student taking the same survey.

Comment author: [deleted] 14 August 2012 11:02:17PM 0 points [-]

Interesting. This raises my level of surprise a bit.