NCJ Number
56182
Journal
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Volume: 31 Issue: 5 Dated: (MAY 1975) Pages: 944-951
Date Published
1975
Length
8 pages
Annotation
AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN WHY PERSONS DEVALUE THE SUFFERING OF VICTIMS. PREVIOUS WORK HAS SUGGESTED A 'JUST WORLD' THEORY. FINDINGS SHOW VICTIM CHARACTERISTICS TO AFFECT BYSTANDERS' PERCEPTIONS.
Abstract
EARLIER RESEARCH HAS SUGGESTED THAT BYSTANDERS DEVALUE THE EXPERIENCES OF VICTIMS BECAUSE THEY MUST RESTORE THEIR FAITH IN A 'JUST WORLD.' IF THE VICTIM CANNOT BE COMPENSATED, THIS 'JUST WORLD' BELIEF CAN BE MAINTAINED ONLY BY VIEWING THE VICTIM AS DESERVING HIS FATE, EITHER DUE TO HIS PERSONAL BEHAVIOR OR BECAUSE HE WAS A 'BAD PERSON.' THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECT OF VICTIM CHARACTERISTICS ON PERCEPTIONS OF BYSTANDERS. A TOTAL OF 66 FEMALE PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS VIEWED 4 VICTIM SITUATIONS. IN THE FIRST A WILLING VICTIM WAS SELECTED RANDOMLY BY SEAT NUMBER FROM THE CLASS TO UNDERGO A TEST INVOLVING MILD ELECTRIC SHOCKS. IN THE SECOND THE VICTIM WAS SELECTED IN THE SAME MANNER BUT WAS UNWILLING. IN THE THIRD THE VICTIM WAS SELECTED BUT WAS CONVINCED OF THE WORTHWHILE NATURE OF THE EXPERIMENT, AND IN THE FOURTH THE VICTIM WAS A VOLUNTEER WITH 'NOBLE' CHARACTERISTICS. THE VOLUNTEER AND THE PERSON WHO PARTICIPATED FOR GOOD REASONS WERE BOTH VIEWED MORE SYMPATHETICALLY ON ALL RATINGS. THEIR SHOCKS WERE BELIEVED TO BE MORE SEVERE, THEIR MOTIVES MORE WORTHWHILE, AND THE EXPERIMENT WAS SEEN AS HAVING VALUE. THE UNWILLING VICTIM RECEIVED THE LOWEST RATINGS ON ALL VARIABLES. RATINGS FOR THE RANDOM VICTIMS WERE CLOSER TO THE RATINGS FOR THE UNWILLING VICTIM. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT DEVALUATION OF VICTIMS' SUFFERING MAY BE EXPLAINED BY AN INFORMATION PROCESSING MODEL. FURTHER RESEARCH IS SUGGESTED. TABLES PRESENT STUDY DATA. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)