Diffusion of responsibility
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.
To Prepare
• 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
Diffusion of responsibility
The diffusion of responsibility, sometimes referred to as the “bystander effect,” is the social psychology phenomenon that individuals are less likely to take action when a large number of people are present. Social psychologists describe two possible beliefs people have that might lead to the diffusion of responsibility. The first belief is that someone else who is present will take action. Therefore, someone chooses to not take action themselves. The second belief is that they will not be found personally responsible for inaction because there are so many other people present. Both perspectives result in an individual not taking action due to the presence of other people.
