Conditions that influence diffusion of responsibility

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examine conditions that influence diffusion of responsibility. Consider the following scenario of Brenda:

Brenda was completing a 1-year internship in Baltimore. Luckily, she found an apartment not far from school. To get some exercise, acquaint herself with her new surroundings, and listen to her music, she walked to and from school every day. The 2-mile route took her past Johns Hopkins University, an extremely busy campus teeming with students and passersby. On her way home one day, music blasting in her ears, Brenda suddenly found herself head down in a muddy ravine right in front of the university’s main quad. Someone had come up from behind and pushed her…hard. She was not hurt, but at that moment, she was head down, feet sticking up in the air, in full view of everyone on the Hopkins’ campus. Attempting to right herself, she wondered why none of the many onlookers offered their assistance.

Review the Learning Resources for this week and examine how social psychology theory and research explain the diffusion of responsibility.
Consider the reasons why none of the onlookers stopped to help Brenda.

Post an explanation about why none of the onlookers offered their assistance. Your explanation must be informed by social psychology theory and research.

Sample Solution

The bystander effect is a social phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to help someone in need if there are other people present. This is because people tend to believe that someone else will help, and they also feel less responsible for the situation if there are other people around.

There are a number of factors that can influence the bystander effect, including:

  • The number of bystanders: The more bystanders there are, the less likely any one bystander is to help. This is because people tend to assume that someone else will help, and they also feel less responsible for the situation if there are other people around.
  • The ambiguity of the situation: The more ambiguous the situation, the less likely people are to help. This is because people are less sure of what to do in an ambiguous situation, and they may be afraid of doing the wrong thing.
  • The perceived similarity of the bystander to the victim: The more similar the bystander is to the victim, the more likely the bystander is to help. This is because people are more likely to empathize with someone who is similar to them.
  • The bystander’s personality: Some people are more likely to help others than others. For example, people who are high in empathy are more likely to help than people who are low in empathy.

In the case of Brenda, there were a number of factors that may have contributed to the bystander effect. First, there were a lot of bystanders present. This may have led people to believe that someone else would help, and it may have also made people feel less responsible for the situation. Second, the situation was ambiguous. Brenda was not visibly injured, and it was not clear who had pushed her. This may have made people hesitant to help, as they were not sure what to do. Third, Brenda was not similar to the bystanders. She was a stranger, and she was not from the area. This may have made people less likely to empathize with her. Finally, Brenda was wearing headphones, which may have prevented her from hearing people calling for help.

As a result of these factors, it is not surprising that none of the onlookers offered their assistance to Brenda. The bystander effect is a powerful phenomenon, and it can be difficult to overcome. However, there are a number of things that can be done to reduce the bystander effect, such as:

  • Highlighting the importance of helping: People are more likely to help if they are reminded of the importance of helping others.
  • Making the situation less ambiguous: People are more likely to help if the situation is clear and unambiguous.
  • Emphasizing the similarity between the bystander and the victim: People are more likely to help if they feel similar to the victim.
  • Encouraging bystanders to take action: People are more likely to help if they are encouraged to take action.

By taking these steps, we can help to reduce the bystander effect and make it more likely that people will help others in need.

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