Decision Model of Helping

Step 1: Recognizing the Problem

Bystanders must first recognize that whatever is occurring is not normal, usual, or common; it is a problem. A famous experiment conducted by Darley and Latané exemplifies this first step. Experimental participants were completing a questionnaire in a waiting room before an interview when smoke suddenly appears out of an air vent. These participants were either in the waiting room alone or with two other participants who were actually confederates pretending to be waiting for their interview. Results showed that the 75% of the participants who were in the waiting room alone reported the smoke to the experimenter, whereas only 10% of the participants did so when in the waiting room with two other confederates. Darley and Latané used this experiment to illustrate how people must first recognize a problem. Participants who are alone think something is wrong when they see smoke emanate from a vent. Because this does not usually happen, participants recognize that this could be a problem and hence report it to the experimenter. However, in the other condition, the participants see that smoke is escaping an air vent but then look to the calm expressions of the confederates, who continue filling out the questionnaire, and make the inference that the smoke may not be a problem. After all, if it were a problem, the confederates would have appeared to be alarmed. Hence, the implication is that the same event, a smoky vent, can be interpreted as a problem when the participant is alone but not when the participant is in the presence of calm peers.

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