The basic design of the Latane and Darley study is an experimental research design. The main reason is that a variation in the independent variable causes a change in the dependent variable. In the case of this study, the independent variable is the number of other people that the subject thinks hears the fit while the dependent variable is the time it takes the subject to leave the experimental cubicle to report the matter (Latane & Darley, 1968). From the results of the experiment, more subjects from the two-persons groups responded more than those from three and six-person groups.
Internal validity focuses on the extent of confidence that the causal relationship being tested can be trusted while external validity refers to the extent to which results from a study can be inferred to other events (Bhattacherjee, 2012). The strength of the Latane and Darley study’s internal validity is that response time is the most accurate measure of how a subject responds to an emergency in different group dynamics. When the seizure victim has a problem, the subject has two options; to act or not to act. The best way to measure this is record the time it takes the subject to act when in different group simulations. Regarding external validity, the strength of Latane and Darley study is that the results can be applied to general situations such as accidents and street occurrences such as stabbings and even fights. People are less likely to act when in bigger groups because of conflict running through them. Everyone thinks another person will act and therefore victims of various unfortunate circumstances may end up not receiving any help at all.
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References
Bhattacherjee, A. (2012). Social science research: Principles, methods, and practices. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=http://columbusstate.libguides.com/c.php?g=523886&p=3581632&httpsredir=1&article=1002&context=oa_textbooks#page=64
Latane, B., & Darley, J. M. (1968). Group inhibition of bystander intervention in emergencies. Journal of personality and social psychology , 10 (3), 215.
