The Bystander Effect

The bystander effect refers to a phenomenon that individuals are less likely to help in a crisis in the presence of others (Fischer et al., 2011). This term was coined from a brutal 1964 murder of Kitty Genoveses in New York. Her screams brought 38 neighbours to their windows. Yet, no one came to her assistance. In this current day and age, society still experiences a similar phenomenon. Lately, reports of domestic helper abuse have increased, some even leading to death. Although their cries are often heard by the neighbours, they are usually glossed over or ignored as not many people would go out of their way to come to their aid; Especially in densely populated urban areas. Research found that factors such as the diffusion of responsibility, social influence and emotional state contribute to the bystander effect (Blagg, 2019).

Diffusion of responsibility gives reason for an individual not to intervene. When more people are involved, it is assumed that others will respond, and that others will not need to do anything. Additionally, the anonymity of city life reduces the sense of responsibility concerning others (Solomon et al., 1982). Therefore, those who witness the situation are likely to turn a blind eye to the crisis.

According to Blagg (2019), bystanders weigh the costs and rewards before helping others. They rationalise the choices they have to produce the best possible outcome for themselves. If assisting others advances their personal growth by enabling one to feel good about themselves or to avoid guilt, bystanders are more likely to come to the aid of others.

The social presence of others can influence one’s ability to assist and help the situation. In an ambiguous situation, bystanders often turn to others for clues as to how they should act. For instance, if the general public behave calmly in light of a possible emergency, bystanders may fail to interpret the situation as a crisis and behave as if nothing is wrong.

In addition, a personal emotional state influences the motivation to help others. When experiencing positive moods, individuals are encouraged to assist whereas negative moods inhibit prosocial behaviour.

To summarise, diffusion of responsibility, rationalising the cost and benefits of helping others, the social presence of others and personal emotional state affect an individual decision to help others. In the odds of these overwhelming factors, humans do have the instinct to help others. By understanding these factors, it can also possibly utilised to promote altruistic action in society.

REFERENCES:

1. Blagg, R. D. (2019). Bystander effect. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/bystander-effect

2. Fischer, P., Krueger, J., Greitemeyer, T., Vogrincic, C., Kastenmuller, A., Frey, D., Heene, M., Wicher, M., & Wicher M., & Kainbacher, M. (2011). The bystander-effect: A meta-analytic review on bystander intervention in dangerous and non-dangerous emergencies. Psychological Bulletin, 137(4), 517–537. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023304

3. Solomon, L. Z., Solomon, H., & Maiorca, J. (1982). The effects of bystander’s anonymity, situational ambiguity, and victim’s status on helping. Journal of Social Psychology, 117, 285–294. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023304