Lesson 3.2.1.3.3

3.2.1.3.3 Piliavin's subway study Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 5

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.2.1.3.3, Piliavin's subway study: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE Psychology (8182), Unit 5: Social influence, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In which city was Piliavin's subway field experiment conducted?

    • London
    • Chicago
    • New York City
    • Paris

  2. What staged event was used to measure helping behaviour in Piliavin's subway study?

    • A stolen handbag
    • A dropped shopping bag
    • A confederate collapsing
    • A medical emergency call

  3. What were the two victim conditions tested in Piliavin's subway study?

    • Child and elderly
    • Drunk and cane
    • Rich and poor
    • Blind and deaf

  4. How did passenger response to the cane victim compare to the drunk victim in Piliavin's study?

    • Reported to staff
    • Ignored more often
    • Helped much faster
    • Helped much slower

  5. Who were the participants being observed in Piliavin's subway study?

    • Undercover police officers
    • Subway train guards
    • Ordinary subway passengers
    • Psychology students

  6. What key concept did Piliavin use to explain passenger responses to victims?

    • Agency theory
    • Social identity theory
    • Cost-reward matrix
    • Levels of processing

  7. Why did the drunk victim receive less help in Piliavin's field experiment?

    • Lack of visibility
    • Too far away
    • Higher perceived cost
    • Lower social status

  8. Which factor did Piliavin's study focus on in relation to helping?

    • Similarity to victim
    • Diffusion of responsibility
    • Group size
    • Cost of helping

  9. Why was help given quickly to the victim with a cane in Piliavin's study?

    • Direct staff orders
    • Mandatory train rules
    • Higher personal reward
    • Lower perceived cost

  10. Which ethical guideline was inevitably breached in Piliavin's subway study?

    • Informed consent
    • Protection from harm
    • Right to withdraw
    • Debriefing sessions

  11. What was the main methodological advantage of conducting Piliavin's study on a subway?

    • No ethical issues
    • High ecological validity
    • Strict control
    • Standardised conditions

  12. What key methodological strength did Piliavin's subway study demonstrate?

    • High ecological validity
    • Zero demand characteristics
    • Complete participant consent
    • Full variable control

  13. Where was Piliavin's subway field experiment conducted?

    • Chicago Subway
    • New York City
    • Paris Metro
    • London Underground

  14. Which key situational variable did Piliavin's subway study examine?

    • Victim condition
    • Room temperature
    • Time of day
    • Group size

  15. When was Piliavin's subway study published?

    • 1969
    • 1951
    • 1963
    • 1975

  16. According to Piliavin's subway study, helping behaviour is heavily influenced by what factor?

    • Time of day
    • Victim appearance
    • Group size
    • Weather conditions

  17. In Piliavin's study, helping a person with a cane is primarily driven by what?

    • Perceived need
    • Deindividuation
    • Social loafing
    • Diffusion of responsibility

  18. Why was less help given to the drunk victim in Piliavin's study?

    • Perceived risk
    • Sensory overload
    • Racial prejudice
    • Moral fatigue

  19. What term describes the victim condition in which the victim appeared to be intoxicated?

    • Matched condition
    • Cane condition
    • Drunk condition
    • Control condition

  20. What key factor did Piliavin's subway study show affects helping behaviour in real settings?

    • Victim appearance
    • Background noise
    • Weather conditions
    • Experimenter gender

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