No. 041973PrincetonSeminary students

The man in the doorway

Seminary students were asked to prepare a short talk. Some were given the story of the Good Samaritan, who stops to help a wounded stranger by the road; the others got a talk about careers.

Then they were sent to another building to give the talk. Some were told, “You have a few minutes,” others, “You’re late, they’re waiting for you.” On the way, a man lay slumped in a doorway, coughing and groaning.

You first

You’re late and people are waiting. What would you do?

This answer is hypothetical; it is not the same as what you would do in a real lab.

What mattered most in whether they stopped to help?

Original result

Of those in no hurry, 63% stopped to help; with a little hurry, 45%; in a big hurry, only 10%. The talk topic made almost no difference: some students on their way to speak about the Good Samaritan literally stepped over the man.

What we know today

This was a single study with a small group of students, so the percentages should not be read as precise figures. Its main idea, that the situation of the moment can matter as much as character, is still one of the most debated ideas in social psychology.

The surprising part

Even people on their way to talk about compassion did not see someone who needed help when they were in a hurry.

Sources

Darley, J. M., & Batson, C. D. (1973). “From Jerusalem to Jericho”: A study of situational and dispositional variables in helping behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 27(1), 100–108. doi.org/10.1037/h0034449

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