24th Annual Student Research Conference
T2IE: Teaching Truman to Intervene Effectively
Connor Sexton* and Darius D. Taylor
Dr. Roberta Donahue, Faculty Mentor
Bystander intervention involves training individuals to overcome the bystander effect, a phenomenon that often occurs in a group situation. Individuals are less likely to act in an emergency when others are present than when alone. This bystander effect has been documented in both the research literature and popular media. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a train-the-trainer bystander intervention in changing intentions to act in a bystander situation. The bystander training was presented during two class sessions in HLTH 245, Substance Abuse Prevention. The training emphasized the pluralistic ignorance and diffusion of responsibility that often occurs in group situations. The students (n=38) were taught a five step process to effectively intervene in bystander situations. Positive changes after the training include a considerable increase in the number of students from 5 (11%) to 19 (50%) who reported they were extremely likely to act when someone was experiencing a blackout.
Keywords: Bystander Intervention
Topic(s):Health Science
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 6-4
Location: VH 1010
Time: 8:45