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In response to the Kitty Genovese incident, researchers have studied helping behavior and found all the following EXCEPT:

a) People are less likely to help when in a hurry
b) People are less likely to help when others are around
c) People are more likely to help similar others
d) People who live in the city are more likely to help

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Researchers studying helping behavior after the Kitty Genovese incident found that people are less likely to help when in a hurry, when others are around, or if the victim is dissimilar to them. Contrary to one of the options provided, there's no evidence that city dwellers are more inclined to assist others; this option is incorrect and not a result of studies.

Step-by-step explanation:

In response to the Kitty Genovese incident, researchers have developed a better understanding of helping behavior. However, one of the findings from the research that social psychologists have recorded, which does not hold, is 'People who live in the city are more likely to help'. This statement is incorrect; in fact, urban environments sometimes correlate with decreased helping behaviors, possibly due to factors such as the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility where people are less likely to help when others are around.

It's essential to note that the Kitty Genovese case itself has often been misrepresented, suggesting no one offered help, but subsequent reports indicated that some bystanders did intervene or contact the police.

The less likelihood of helping in a group scenario is because the responsibility is thought to be spread among all witnesses (diffusion of responsibility), making any one individual feel less compelled to act. This was notably postulated by social psychologists like Bandura.

Furthermore, social psychologists have found that people are less likely to help when in a hurry and when people are more likely to help similar others. These findings highlight the various social and cognitive factors influencing prosocial behavior within different situational contexts.

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