Okay, here’s my blog post about the “example of social responsibility norm in psychology”, written from a personal experience perspective, keeping it casual and avoiding any links:
Alright, so I wanted to try something out related to this “social responsibility norm” thing I’ve been reading about. Basically, it’s the idea that we feel obligated to help others, especially when they seem to need it. I wanted to see this in action, in a real-world, everyday kind of way.
My Little Experiment
So, I started small. I decided to test how far the social responsibility norm would be embodied by others when I deliberately dropped something in public. My thought was, “Will anyone pick it up?”.
My first step was picking my “test” locations. I figured a busy shopping street, and near the supermarket would be good. A park was also good, because there are always people around, different kinds of folks, different ages, you know?
Next up, I picked what to “accidentally” drop. A single glove seemed perfect. It’s small, not super valuable, but also something someone might genuinely need, especially in the colder weather. A dropped wallet, or a roll of money would probably be testing my luck.
I went for it. I walked through my chosen spots, and at seemingly random moments, I “fumbled” the glove. I made sure it was noticeable, but not overly dramatic. Like, I didn’t throw it down, I just let it slip from my hand and kept walking, pretending not to notice. I did this about ten times in each location.
- The Shopping Street: Out of ten drops, seven people picked it up and called out to me. Two others nudged it with their foot, I guess to see if anyone would claim it. Only one person completely ignored it.
- Near the Supermarket: Here, eight people picked up the glove. One person hesitated, looked around, and then picked it up. One person stepped right over it.
- The Park: This one was interesting. Six people picked it up right away. Two kids pointed it out to their parents, who then picked it up. The other two times? No one seemed to notice, maybe because there was more space and less foot traffic.
My Takeaway
After a few drops I really start to see how quickly people notice something is out of * folks, most of the time, did the “right” thing. They saw someone (me, in this case) had dropped something, and they helped. It wasn’t a huge act of heroism, but it was a clear example of that social responsibility norm in action.I am really happy to find out what I read is true.
It reinforced that, at least on a small scale, most people are inclined to be helpful. I guess it made my day feel a bit better to get it, and it will be a good example that I can share with other people.
