Speaking up: Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior to Bystander Intervention in Racism Page: 52

                                
comments and racist attitudes of the confederate were none of their business, which affected
their perceptions of intervention.
Factors Participants Claim Would Have Changed their Decision
In addition to the aforementioned factors, many participants mentioned four specific
factors that they believed would have changed their intervention decision. First, a few
participants said that if the environment in which they heard the race statements were different,
they would have intervened. For example, one participant said, "So, it is kinda difficult but if it
was like someone who's like trying to talk shit like on a bus or something, then I'd really say
something." Another participant remarked, "If we were standing in line somewhere for five
minutes maybe I would have [intervened] or something like that." Thus, some participants felt
that a different environment would have changed their intervention decision.
Further, some participants noted that if they had known or been friends with the victim of
racism, they would have intervened. One participant spoke of this, saying,
Probably if I knew her. It's probably bad but if you don't really know someone like say
me and you were really good friends and someone had said something about you then I
would definitely like step up immediately, but if you hear something- if someone says
something about like a person or something you may not be so quick to step up because
you don't really know, and it doesn't really affect you as much.
Thus, some participants felt that having a personal relationship with the assistant would have
changed their intervention decision. This factor was also discussed in the bystander intervention
literature (Gottleib & Carver, 1979).
An additional factor that participants noted would have caused them to change their
intervention decision was if the participants would have had like-minded friends present to give

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