Definition

It happens when the presence of others discourages a person from intervening in an emergency situation. The greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is for any one of them to provide help to a person that is in trouble or distress.

People are more likely to tak...

The Bystander effect is attributed to:

• The diffusion of responsibility: bystanders are less likely to intervene if there are other witnesses who seem likely to do so.
• Social influence: individuals observe the behavior of those around them to...

The more people who see someone in need, the less likely that person is to receive help.

Researchers call it a “confusion of responsibility,” where individuals feel less responsibility for the outcome of an event when others are around. In fact, the probability of help is inversely r...