A passenger carrying a heavy backpack collapsed near a busy boarding gate at Terminal 5 yesterday afternoon, while dozens of holidaymakers continued walking towards their flights.
The passenger began to stumble before falling to the floor. While many people stopped to look before moving on, an off-duty nurse ran over to assist, helping the passenger sit up and offering first aid.
In a later interview, the nurse explained: "They were wearing a medical alert bracelet and looked pale and genuinely ill, not intoxicated. The cost of doing nothing—knowing they could suffer a severe medical emergency right there—was far too high a price to pay."
However, a sales director who walked past the incident explained: "The boarding area was packed with hundreds of people. I was certain that airport staff or a closer passenger would intervene. Plus, my gate was closing and I couldn't afford to miss my flight and lose a crucial business deal."
Another eyewitness noted that several passengers seemed reluctant to offer help when they noticed the collapsed passenger's backpack had patches supporting a highly controversial political movement, with some bystanders whispering disapproval before walking away.
Outline Piliavin et al.’s (1969) 'Subway Samaritan' study and describe ways in which it could relate to the newspaper article above. Support your answer with evidence from the article.
105 exam-style questions on OCR A Level Psychology Responses to people in need, covering Piliavin et al. (1969): Subway Samaritan and Levine et al. (2001): Cross-cultural altruism. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.