The influence of target age on bystander helping behavior

Abstract

Previous studies have examined the topics of helping behavior and ageism separately; however, the effect of ageism on helping behavior is a topic that has received little attention. The current study examined whether bystanders were more likely to offer aid to a young, middle, or older adult confederate. The behaviors measured were whether or not the bystander would pick up an object dropped by the confederate or would inform her that she had dropped the item. If help was offered, the experimenter also measured the amount of time that lapsed before the bystander offered help to the confederate. The hypothesis was that the bystanders would be more inclined to offer aid to the older confederate and that the help would be offered more quickly to that person. Results did not support the hypothesis; no significant difference emerged in help offered to younger or older confederates.