Yes, I don't believe the fact that the story was not as advertised makes it any less an inspiration for the work of Darley and Latane and others. It might make an interesting historical footnote to note that (not for the first time in human history) an endeavor was embarked upon with less than a complete understanding of the precipitating event. The Spanish-American war is no less a fact whether the USS Maine was sunk by sabotage or an accidental explosion. I think the perception of the Kitty Genovese incident can easily be cited as a motivating factor for the subsequent line of research but it should not be cited as evidence, in any way, for any particular theory of helping behavior. Anecdotes can be used to illustrate theoretical principles but they are not generally useful for testing the validity of those theories.
Rick Dr. Rick Froman, Chair Division of Humanities and Social Sciences Box 3055 x7295 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.jbu.edu/academics/hss/faculty/rfroman.asp Proverbs 14:15 "A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps." -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 9:11 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: Re: [tips] Article on Kitty Genovese in American Psychologist Thanks Michael. I've been teaching this story with a lot of hedging thrown in for several years. I can't remember when or how it was first brought to my attention but I'd bet it was on tips. However, let me also state that I am very careful not to toss the baby out with the bathwater--I go to great pains to make sure that my students, not a one of whom has ever heard of the Kitty Genovese case and really could care less--that the subsequent work by Latane and Darling is quite good and has demonstrated an important social psychological principle. Replications are a dime a dozen and very robust. Annette Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 619-260-4006 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---
