A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

What was the relationship between population size and helping behavior in Levine et al.'s study?

1. Significant positive correlation

2. Significant negative correlation

3. No significant correlation

4. Variable correlation depending on the scenario

The correct answer is: No significant correlation

In Levine et al.'s study, the researchers investigated helping behavior in different cultural contexts and environments. One of the key findings was that population size did not significantly correlate with helping behavior; in other words, the level of altruism observed was not contingent upon the number of people living in that area. This suggests that despite larger cities often being presumed to have lower levels of helping behavior due to factors like urban overload and anonymity, Levine's findings indicate that this was not the case across the examined locations. The study emphasized the role of cultural and contextual factors over mere population size in determining helping behavior. For example, in some larger cities, people might have shown high levels of helping behavior, while in smaller communities, levels could be variable. This leads to the conclusion that the relationship between population size and helping behavior is more complex than a simple correlation, reinforcing the idea that other influences play critical roles in altruistic acts.