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The Effects of Perceived Threat and Vulnerability on Virtual Bystander Intervention

Sun, May 28, 14:00 to 16:45, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Floor: 4, Sapphire 410A

Abstract

This study explores the effect of message threat and victim vulnerability on virtual bystander intervention using Latané’s (1981) Social Impact Theory (SIT) as a theoretical framework. This study used a 2 (message threat) x 2 (victim vulnerability) x 2 (victim-aggressor pair gender) between-subject experiment involving 88 undergraduates from a university in Singapore. Participants took part in an online discussion with two confederates and their responses were analyzed types of bystander behavior. The findings revealed that higher threat resulted in more instances of explicit request for cessation, and higher victim vulnerability led to more instances of task reorientation but fewer expressions of support directed at the victim. The likelihood of explicit requests for cessation of argument was greatest when both threat and vulnerability were high. Results indicate that SIT may not hold true in online contexts where the bystander is highly involved in interacting with both the victim and aggressor.

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