Bystander Effect Research Paper

When there is an emergency, why is taking out our phones to take a picture or video the very first thing we want to do? Why do we casually walk by a person who is in trouble, and go about our business as if we did not anyone? Why do we not help or act when someone is getting, but instead we just stand in a crowd and watch? Why do we bury our moral instincts during emergencies? “We witness a problem, consider positive action, and respond by doing nothing. Why do we not help in these situations and put our moral instincts in shackles” (Keltner & Marsh, 2017). We as people are bystanders to the world around us daily, but the question is why? The answer to all the “why” questions is the bystander effect.

If you saw someone being attacked on the street, would you help? Many of us would quickly say yes we would help because to state the opposite would say that we are evil human beings. Much research has been done on why people choose to help and why others choose not to. The bystander effect states that the more bystanders present, the less likely it is for someone to help. Sometimes a bystander will assume that because no one else seems concerned, they shouldn't be (Senghas, 2007). Much of the research that has been done supports this definition of the bystander effect. There have also been recent situations where this

Social psychology first examined the phenomena later termed “bystander effect” in response to a 1964 murder. The murder of a young woman with as many as 38 witnesses and none who helped until it was too late. The bystander effect is individuals seeing an emergency situation but not helping. There are many reasons why individuals do not respond: diffusion of responsibility, not noticing or unsure if it is an emergency, and not wanting to be liable if the person still dies are a few.

The Bystander effect is a controversial theory given to social phenomenon where the more potential helpers there are, the less likely any individual is to help. A traditional explanation for this Bystander Effect is that responsibility diffuses across the multiple bystanders, diluting the responsibility of each. (Kyle et al.) The Bystander effect, also known as the Genovese Syndrome, was created after the infamous murder of “Kitty” Catherine Genovese in 1964, on the streets of New York in front of thirty-seven witnesses. After studying the Genovese syndrome and doing research on how this phenomenon occurs today, it is clear The Bystander effect is not theory, but actually fact.

First ‘The Bystander Effect’, states ‘that individuals are less likely to intervene in emergency situations when other people are present’. Latne & Darley, (1970) cited in Byford J.( 2014 pp 232). Simply put, where emergency situations arise, if more than one person is present the likelihood of someone in distress being helped reduces. This is the ‘diffusion of responsibility’ effect were each bystander feels less obliged to help because the responsibility seems to be divided with others present’. (Byford J., 2014 pp233) An example of Bystander Apathy shown within a video (The Open University 2016).

For example, in the Kitty Genovese case, referenced by both reading sources, there were multiple witness who saw the murder, but did not help. This is because of what the textbook refers to as the bystander effect. There are two main rationales that were discussed concerning the bystander effect.

Have you ever seen an incident happen and not do anything about it? Well in “Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn’t Call the Police”, thirty-eight people saw a murder happen and decide not to do anything about it. By watching an incident happen and not intervene is called the bystander effect this is where you watch an event happen and do nothing because you feel like it’s none of your business or because someone else isn’t helping why should you. In this essay the writer explains an incident that happened and how people witnessed it but didn’t do anything making them bystanders.

Psychologists Bibb Latané and John Darley stated that “as the number of bystanders increase, any given bystander is less likely to notice the incident, interpret it as an emergency, and assume responsibility for taking action .” Some things that influence the bystander effect are that the more vague the situation the less likely people will intervene. Also the need to accepted in social ways, like when the other bystanders do not react, people often take this as a sign that they don't need to respond

Everyday there are countless of people getting hurt physically, emotionally, or mentally whether by a conducted crime, a bully, or a text assault. When those things are happening, often there are people on the scene with opportunities to act upon the problems -- step in to stop the conflict, call the police, or speak up to defend those in need. They can prevent a crime, help support the victim, or even save a life if they choose to intervene. People are accountable for one another to do everything they can to save each other’s life. Therefore, bystanders should be interveners because they will never know what positive effects their actions might bring.

Usually, people know how to help; and sometimes there are individuals who understand how to quickly help hurt shoulders or sprains. Some folks can even make recommendations on how to approach the next week with an injury. I may have observed the bystander effect more in other countries that my family visited when I was younger. Since I have never lived for long periods of time in cities I feel that I have less experience with the bystander effect. However, Milgram's view that we may be managing the information that could flood our minds makes sense.

Psychological studies have shown that many bystanders turn away from those in need of aid. This is sometimes because the bystanders assume that someone else will come along to help, however, studies have also suggested deeper reasons to a lack of bystander intervention. Oftentimes, the group of people that you are with have a significant influence on your behaviors and choices, such as whether or not you would intervene to help someone in need. If the person in need of help is within your group, people will often fail to speak up with the intent of protecting the group’s reputation and covering up the situation (Source A). These group mentalities are extremely dangerous and can be very harmful. It’s important that members of a group remember that they are responsible for standing up to attackers, and that they are protected under Good Samaritan laws for their intent to help others in any dangerous

Numerous rape attacks could have been avoided if any one of the countless bystanders had taken action to help the victim, so what stopped them from interfering? Many believers would say “it is not their problem.” But what if we were the victim to this attack, then is it our problem and would we want a bystander to intervene? Of course we would, any actual victim of rape can tell us how they wish someone would’ve stopped the attack. Or the bystanders decide to not interfere from the fear of becoming a victim to the attack, or just simply getting hurt themselves. Yes, we as bystanders have to care for our personal safety but we as individuals with social responsibly should also care about the safety of the victim as well. Everyone assumes that

The bystander effect is when an individual will be discouraged from intervening in an emergency situation due to the presence of others.

Everyone has experienced witnessing another person in danger or has been in a harmful circumstance with a witness present. Thousands of people each day are faced with this dilemma, whether it be small scale, such as bullying, or large scale, such as murder. Psychology Dictionary defines the bystander effect as “a tendency for people not to get involved or not to offer help in a social situation”. Examples include school children standing around timidly as they watch their fellow classmate receive taunts from the school bully, or neighbors keeping quiet as they witness a young girl being brutally murdered. As citizens and as human beings, bystanders have the moral obligation to intervene in a crisis. Although people have

Bystander apathy and effect is a idea that people are cruel or not willing to react when they are in a situation where a person in severe problem is in need of their essence they are not willing to react in a helping manner. This is not a rare thing in today's world the way people react in situation will amaze people and inhuman acts to severe or weird situations whether these acts are deserving they shall not be left untreated. This is why it is important to read about bystander apathy and effect to know what is going on in this world and how everyone can help to prevent it. (wikipedia Bystander apathy and effect)