NCT06481748

Unleashing Unpredictability: The Batman Project and Its Impact on Prosocial Behavior and Awareness

The Batman Project: Can Unpredictability Foster Prosocial Behaviour Through Increased Awareness?

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 68 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Catholic University of the Sacred Heart · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 99 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The proposed study is an observational investigation that aims to examine the impact of an unexpected and unusual event on prosociality within the Milan metro. The event is the simple presence, in the underground car, of a student wearing a Batman suit. The main objective is to assess whether or not the presence of the unusual event influences prosocial behaviour towards a student pretending to be pregnant. During the study, the student, equipped with a sponge prosthesis to simulate a pregnancy will board the underground. She will be asked not to interact with anyone, but to simply look at her phone. In the experimental condition, an individual dressed as Batman will enter the carriage (through a different door than the one used by the student). In the control condition, on the other hand, no one will show up in costume. In addition, the observer will try to gather information on the reason for this prosocial behaviour, noting down the answer given.

Conditions

• Social Behavior

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Batman	The investigators foresee several teams engaged throughout the day to ensure greater variability, each team will consist of three students for the experimental condition (Batman; "pregnant girl", observer) and two students for the control condition ("pregnant girl" and observer), plus the presence in both cases of a member of the research team. The 'pregnant girl' will be properly prepared and equipped with a sponge prosthesis to simulate pregnancy. In addition, the subject dressed as Batman must be prepared to play the role in a natural and non-invasive manner. During this phase, the student observers collaborating in the study will carefully record the behavior of the passengers in the underground.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-06-21
• Primary completion: 2024-09-08
• Completion: 2024-10-08
• First posted: 2024-07-01
• Last updated: 2024-07-01