The current research integrates theory on the contextual characteristics that impact bystanders’ decisions to prosocially intervene against workplace incivility. We built a model based upon two of the most influential theories of prosocial intervention—Latané and Darley’s (1970) decision-tree model and Piliavin et al.’ (1981) arousal: cost-reward model—and assert that decisions to intervene are affected by the inherent ambiguity of the uncivil context as well as the costs versus rewards of intervention in ways that facilitate action. Yet, depending on the gender composition of the dyad involved in the uncivil exchange, and both the moral identity and the role (i.e., supervisor versus coworker) of the observer, ambiguity and cost-reward considerations may differ in their relative impact. Policy capturing methodology was used to test the relative influence of ambiguity-reduction (i.e., harm to the target, appeal for help) versus cost-reward (i.e., target’s task performance level, bystander workload) situational cues on coworker and supervisor bystanders’ decisions to intervene with either social support to the target or confronting the perpetrator. Results of a large-scale experiment with over 3400 participants revealed that each of the situational cues surrounding the uncivil exchange positively influenced observers’ decisions to intervene in theorized ways and that cost-reward considerations and role obligations are intricately intertwined.

目前的研究整合了关于影响旁观者决定亲社会干预工作场所不文明行为的情境特征的理论。我们基于两个最有影响力的亲社会干预理论——Latané 和 Darley (1970)的决策树模型和 Piliavin 等人建立了一个模型。(1981) arousal: cost-reward model——并断言干预决定受到不文明环境固有的模糊性以及以促进行动的方式干预的成本与回报的影响。然而，根据参与不文明交流的二人组的性别构成，以及观察者的道德认同和角色（即主管与同事），模糊性和成本回报的考虑在其相对影响上可能有所不同。策略捕获方法用于测试减少歧义（即，对目标的伤害，寻求帮助）与成本回报（即，目标的任务绩效水平，旁观者工作量）情景线索对同事和主管旁观者决策的相对影响以对目标的社会支持或对抗肇事者进行干预。