Kitty Genovese Experiment

New York is described as one of the meanest cities in the United States. People go about their days completely oblivious to the lives of others. In 1964 Kitty Genovese was brutally attacked. Her attacker stabbed and raped her. The woman screamed for help throughout the ordeal but none arrived. Witnesses reported hearing the screams but none sought or provided help for the woman. No one was overly concerned. This apathy for the plight of another human being struck researchers Darley and Latene. They decided to direct an experiment at the university where the attack occurred. Students from the school were brought on for the experiment. Each person was brought into a room and told to converse with another over an intercom system. Subjects were
divided in three different groups. The first group was told that they would be talking with only one other student. The second group would be talking with two people, and the third group of subjects was told that they were going to have a conversation with five other people. However, all the students were talking to prerecorded voices of others. In the room the student heard the recording during which the person called for help.