When people are asked whether they would spontaneously assist a person in an emergency situation, almost everyone will reply positively. Although the people normally imagine themselves heroes, the fact is that many people refrain from helping in real life, especially when they are aware that other people are present at the scene.
Bystander effect hypothesis is one of the most well-established findings of psychology, and is typically interpreted as the product of a diffusion of responsibility, by which the liability to help dilutes across the multiple bystanders present.
The bystander effect suggests that individuals are less likely to offer assistance in an emergency when other witnesses are around. It’s not that people are primarily apathetic or that they fear reprisal; rather, the presence of a group actively inhibits an individual from acting in an emergency situation.
One of the most common and influential factors that affects the willingness of bystanders to help is the number of individuals (the so-called bystanders) witnessing a case of emergency. Most classic studies have shown that the greater the number of bystanders, the less helping behavior is exhibited.
The bystander effect has 4 key components: self-awareness, social cues, blocking mechanisms, and diffuse responsibility.
Bystander effect
