Social psychology is a science that studies social thought (how we perceive ourselves and others, the judgments we make and our attitudes); social influence (such as pressure to conform, group of people) and social relationships such as aggression and helping (David G. Myers, 2008). Social psychological research methods vary depending on location: in the laboratory or in the field. Furthermore, it varies depending on the method: correlational or experimental (David G. Myers, 2008). One field research method concerns everyday situations, for example Piliavin et al. (1969) Good Samaritanism. The laboratory research method is a controlled situation; for example, Zimbardo (1973) Stanford Prison Experiment. A correlation method measures the relationship between two or more variables: independent variable(s) and dependent variable. Independent variables are the experimental factors that the researcher can manipulate, while dependent variables are things that the experimenter has no control over, which include the outcome of the experiment (Lecture Notes). The experimental method explores cause and effect of the study (David G. Myers, 2008). In a decent city of New York, Kitty Genovese in her home was brutally murdered. Within half an hour, on two separate occasions, she was sexually assaulted and stabbed to death by a man (Malim and Birch, 1998). The fact that she was crying for help must have made the 38 people who heard her scream realize that no one else had come to help her. The event prompted Lantene and Darley (1970) to conduct a laboratory experiment, investigating two important concepts: diffusion of responsibility and pluralistic ignorance. Diffusion of responsibility is the idea that people are less likely to help when there are others; no one helps because everyone thinks... in the middle of the paper......08). Social psychology. 9th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.,. 3-29, 187-269,427. Kendra Cherry (2012). About.com. (A part of The New York Times Company) What is social psychology? Available: http://psychology.about.com/od/socialpsychology/f/socialpsych.htm. Last accessed 02/14/2012 Mark Holah. (2008). Piliavin, Irving., Rodin, Judith., & Piliavin, Jane. (1969). Available: http://www.holah.karoo.net/piliavinstudy.htm. Last accessed 7 March 2012.MalimTony and Birch Ann (1998). Introduction to psychology. London and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 102-105, 640-642,826, 830. Richard Gross . (February 2012). Intervention by a passer-by on the New York subway. Psychology review. 17(3), 11-13. Www. Phillipallan.co.uk/magazines.Saul Mcleod. (2007). Simply psychology. Available: http://www.simplypsychology.org/research-methods.html. Last seen 14/02/2012.