Recall that participants in an experiment described in the text (Toi & Batson, 1982) listened to an (alleged) radio interview in which a student in their introductory psychology class described an accident that caused her to fall behind in the course.
Some participants were told that Carol would soon be returning to their class. According to the research, why is this referred to as a high cost condition?
a. Carol was still in a wheelchair, and it would be hard for her to get to class.
b. Every time participants saw her, they would feel guilty if they didn't help her.
c. Participants would have to go out of their way to copy their notes for Carol.
d. Every time participants saw her, they would be able to empathize with her.
Question 2
In support for the empathy-altruism hypothesis, researchers (Toi & Batson, 1982) found that participants were most likely to help a student named Carol who was injured in an automobile accident when they were told
a. to try to imagine how Carol felt about what happened to her and how it changed her life.
b. to be objective, and not to focus on how Carol felt.
c. that they would see Carol every week in class.
d. that they would never come face to face with Carol.
A Schematic Description of the Experiment by Maviel et al. (2004)
A Schematic Description of the Experiment by Misanin, Miller, and Lewis (1968)
Faces in experiment
Counterbalancing in the Predator Experiment
Landsteiner's experiment demonstrating the exquisite specificity of the immune system.
Text and drive