Describe the sample used in the study by Piliavin et al. (subway Samaritans).

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Feb/Mar 2023). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] Opportunity sample
2. [1] (Approximately) 4450.
3. [1] Travelling on a New York (subway).
4. [1] 45% black / 55% white.
5. [1] Unsolicited / never knew / never asked to participate.
6. [1] Males and females.
7. [1] between Harlem and Bronx stations / between 11am and 3pm / in either direction.
8. [1] Average of 43 participants per carriage.
9. [1] Any data should not be identifiable as a single participant's, responses / participants' data must not be named as theirs
10. [1] The guideline was not broken as no individual data was published / all we know is that they were people on a New York subway train
11. [1] participants should be given sufficient information about the study in order to choose if they want to participate or not.
12. [1] Participants in this study did not even know that a study was taking place so could not be asked if they wanted to participate or not.
13. [1] Participants should leave the study in the same mental/psychological state as they entered / Participants should not be potentially harmed by the procedure of a study.
14. [1] The guideline was broken as the participants had to witness a person collapsing and then maybe not helping them out.
15. [1] The guideline was not broken as a participant could literally turn their back on the incident and take no notice of it.
16. [1] Other people did help so most passengers may have felt guilty / less guilty.
17. [1] participants should be able to leave the study at any point (without penalty);
18. [1] The participants could not simply leave the entire subway car to escape from witnessing the collapse.
19. [1] Some participants did move from the critical area to effectively withdraw from the situation.