John Darley
Encyclopedia
John M. Darley is a distinguished American
social psychologist
, who has made contributions to the study of helping behaviour
. Currently, he is a professor of psychology at Princeton University
's Department of Psychology
.
Darley studied at Swarthmore College
from 1941 to 1960, obtaining his Bachelor's degree (1960), and later attended Harvard University
, from which he obtained his Master's degree in 1962 and his Ph.D.in 1965, under the supervision of Elliot Aronson
.
Darley is best known, in collaboration with Bibb Latané
, for looking at why people do not always intervene (i.e. offer aid) at the scene of an emergency
, a research interest largely stemming from the tragic case of Kitty Genovese
, the New Yorker who was murder
ed in a New York suburb in March 1964 in the presence of 38 witnesses, none of whom even telephoned the police
.
Experimental research with Latané persuaded Darley that, other things being equal, more people present at the scene of an emergency could lead to reduced likelihood that any one would help, for two reasons:
Since 1980, further experiments by social psychologists have suggested important qualifications to this general rule, and identified conditions where increasing bystander numbers at the scene of an emergency may actually increase the likelihood of helping. One of Darley's most distinguished Ph.D. students has been Daniel Batson
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
social psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
, who has made contributions to the study of helping behaviour
Prosocial behavior
Prosocial behavior, or "voluntary behavior intended to benefit another", consists of actions which "benefit other people or society as a whole," "such as helping, sharing, donating, co- operating, and volunteering." These actions may be motivated by empathy and by concern about the welfare and...
. Currently, he is a professor of psychology at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
's Department of Psychology
Princeton University Department of Psychology
The Princeton University Department of Psychology, located in Green Hall, is an academic department of Princeton University on the corner of Washington St. and William St. in Princeton, New Jersey. For over a century, the department has been one of the most notable psychology departments in the...
.
Darley studied at Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
from 1941 to 1960, obtaining his Bachelor's degree (1960), and later attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, from which he obtained his Master's degree in 1962 and his Ph.D.in 1965, under the supervision of Elliot Aronson
Elliot Aronson
Elliot Aronson is an American psychologist. He is listed among the 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th Century, best known for the invention of the Jigsaw Classroom as a method of reducing interethnic hostility and prejudice; cognitive dissonance research, and influential social psychology...
.
Darley is best known, in collaboration with Bibb Latané
Bibb Latané
Bibb Latané is a United States social psychologist. He is probably most famous for his work with John Darley on bystander intervention in emergencies, but he has also published many articles on social attraction in animals, social loafing in groups, and the spread of social influence in populations...
, for looking at why people do not always intervene (i.e. offer aid) at the scene of an emergency
Medical emergency
A medical emergency is an injury or illness that is acute and poses an immediate risk to a person's life or long term health. These emergencies may require assistance from another person, who should ideally be suitably qualified to do so, although some of these emergencies can be dealt with by the...
, a research interest largely stemming from the tragic case of Kitty Genovese
Kitty Genovese
Catherine Susan "Kitty" Genovese , was a New York City woman who was stabbed to death near her home in the Kew Gardens section of Queens, New York on March 13, 1964....
, the New Yorker who was murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed in a New York suburb in March 1964 in the presence of 38 witnesses, none of whom even telephoned the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
.
Experimental research with Latané persuaded Darley that, other things being equal, more people present at the scene of an emergency could lead to reduced likelihood that any one would help, for two reasons:
- Pluralistic ignorancePluralistic ignoranceIn social psychology, pluralistic ignorance, a term coined by Daniel Katz and Floyd H. Allport in 1931, describes "a situation where a majority of group members privately reject a norm,...
, the assumption that because no one is helping, everything must be all right; - Diffusion of responsibilityDiffusion of responsibilityDiffusion of responsibility is a sociopsychological phenomenon. It refers to the tendency of any individual person to avoid taking action, or refraining from action, when others are present. Considered a form of attribution, the individual assumes that either others are responsible for taking...
, a diminished sense of personal responsibility when others are present.
Since 1980, further experiments by social psychologists have suggested important qualifications to this general rule, and identified conditions where increasing bystander numbers at the scene of an emergency may actually increase the likelihood of helping. One of Darley's most distinguished Ph.D. students has been Daniel Batson
Daniel Batson
C. Daniel Batson is an American social psychologist. He holds both doctoral degrees in Theology and Psychology . He obtained his doctorate under John Darley and has taught at the University of Kansas...
.