The Extent to Which the Bystander Effect, Peer Influence, and Moral Identity Influence the Expression of Pro-Social Behavior

The present research hypothesized that the expression of Examining contributing factors for pro-social behavior, it was hypothesized that this characteristic would be inhibited by the presence of a bystander, would not be effected by peer influence, and would occur for subjects with a stronger moral identity. The helping behaviors of 42 participants after a confederate spilled a box of packing peanuts while the participants were filling out the provided questionnaires measuring moral identity were observed and recorded. The findings of this study suggest that peer influence does indeed have a significant effect on the expression of pro-social (helping) behavior, while the bystander effect and moral identity do not.