Be Afraid to Help: Reversal of the Bystander Effect in the Chinese Context

Ziqin Li ； Jiayu Zheng

《International Journal of Social Science and Education Research》 4卷3期 (2021/03) Pp. 401-408

https://doi.org/10.6918/IJOSSER.202103_4(3).0060

摘要

The classic bystander effect stipulates that people help others more when they are alone than when other bystanders are present. The paper reasons that, sometimes, the presence of bystanders can increase helping, notably in the Chinese context because there are many cases that the one who offers helping hand is sued or scammed. Given the major influence of the COVID‐19, the study also introduced this element to see if the virus would hinder or enhance helping behavior. Thus, the experiment raises two research questions: How do characteristics of people differentiate their helping behaviors? Whether there is a reversal to bystander effect in the Chinese context and how it influences Chinese helping behavior? To answer the questions, an experiment was conducted towards 219 participants with an online questionnaire. In the experiment, participants are given four different videos, in which a person fell to the ground with or without a mask and also with or without any bystanders around. Also, participants are asked to complete their basic information and a survey of compassion and moral foundation. The study indicates that, as expected, the bystander effect can be reversed in China and gender, occupation, health condition, compassion and moral foundation exert significant impact on helping behaviors.

關鍵字

Bystander effect ； Helping behavior ； Morality ； Compassion ； COVID‐19 Pandemic

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