The Bystander Effect Essays - 1305 Words

The Bystander Effect Psy 110 - Asynchronous 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 shouldnt 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†¦show more content†¦Researchers also found that students were more likely to intervene when they are the only person around (Flanagan and Stout, 2009). This is not hard to believe because children learn behaviors from their parents and other adults. Adults do only feel obligated to react when there are not many people around; childre n observe this behavior and replicate it in their daily lives. In this same journal researchers found that 41% of students say that they would step in and help a fellow classmate in need. However, in reality only about 1 in 4 actually do intervene (Flanagan and Stout, 2009). There is obviously some discretion between intention and behavior. Researchers are not sure what makes children decide to help or not to help. These young students are demonstrating the bystander effect. This journal also talks about bullying and why students will not tell teachers when a student is being bullied. Not much study has been done on this, but researches believe that it has much to do with the bystander effect. Another example of the bystander effect in everyday life happened this year in New York City. A homeless man rushed to assist a woman who had been attacked. He was representing the good side of the bystander effect. He saw someone in need and immediately reacted to help that person. In his attempt to save this woman from this beating, he was stabbed. As he was lying on the street dying in a pool of blood, people walked by and did nothing toShow MoreRelatedBystander Effect And Crises : Bystander Effects1625 Words   |  7 Pages Anthony R. Hudgens March 24, 2016 Case Study #4 Bystander Effect and Crises Bystander Effect and Crises A woman by the name of Kitty Genovese was stalked and stabbed to death in an alleyway of Queens, New York, in 1964 (Pugh Henry). It is reported that there were nearly 40 witnesses who heard her screams for help but failed to do so (Colangelo, 2014). Why is it that some individuals tend to shy away from bad situations in which help is clearly needed? Kitty’s murderer, Winston MoselyRead MoreBystander Apathy And Effect Of Bystander1084 Words   |  5 PagesBystander Apathy and Effect Bystander effect, or also known as bystander apathy, is a social psychological phenomenon that attributes to cases in which others do not help people in need while others are around. The possibility of help is contrarily connected to the amount of bystanders. Basically, the larger amount of bystanders the less likely people will help the one in need. Various variables help to explain why the bystander effect occurs. These variables include: ambiguity, cohesivenessRead MoreBystander Effect Essay1389 Words   |  6 PagesThe Bystander Effect 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 â€Å"Kitty† Catherine Genovese in 1964, on the streets ofRead MoreBystander Effect Essay1637 Words   |  7 Pages Bystander or Bodyguard: An Examination of Who Helps and Who Does Not A bystander, according to Michael Webster’s New World College Dictionary, is an individual who is present in a given situation, but is not involved (Agnes, 2001). The word bystander does not always have a negative connotation, but in the case of bullying or an emergency situation, it does. In either scenario, a bystander is not helping in a time of crisis and this can have many negative outcomes. Many factors play a role in remainingRead MoreEssay on Bystander Effect1079 Words   |  5 PagesBystander effect, (Darley Latane, 1970) refers to decrease in helping response when there are bystanders around relative to no bystanders. Referring to previous study stating that there are some cases of which group size may promote helping instead of hindering it (Fischer et al., 2011). Researchers then speculate the possibility of positive influences from bystanders by taking public self-awareness into consideration. Researchers proposed that high public self-awareness would reverse t he bystanderRead MoreBystander Effect Essay1403 Words   |  6 PagesThe Bystander Effect is a controversial theory given to social phenomenon where the more potential bystanders there are, the less likely any individual is to help in emergency situations. A traditional explanation for the cause of the 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 named after the infamous murder of â€Å"Kitty† Catherine Genovese in 1964,Read MoreThe Bystander Effect And Racism913 Words   |  4 Pagesthose they perceive to be similar to them, including others from their own racial or ethnic groups. We don’t like to discover that our propensity for altruism can depend on prejudice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  We can connect the evidence provided to explain issues of the bystander effect and racism. For example, when people witness a situation of racism , they are probably only going to help if it is someone from the same racial group. However, if it were someone foreign to his or her group, then that would ignore the issue andRead MoreThe bystander effect Essay1223 Words   |  5 Pagesdefinitive example of the bystander effect, the social phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to help someone in distress if there are other people present. The bystander effect occurs wherever there is a situation that is ambiguous, or where a lack of action can be rationalized by a diffusion of responsibility in a large group, or where the presence of others presents a significant risk to the bystander such that he or she is afraid to provide help. The bystander effect results from peopleRead MoreHistory Of The Bystander Effect1835 Words   |  8 PagesHistory of the Bystander Effect The bystander effect is a very famous theory. It has been indited about in many Psychology Textbooks. In addition, there has been many situations that have been associated with this theory. Nevertheless, there was one story that commenced it all. This acclaimed story went viral and what some would call, legendary. This story resulted in a woman denominated as Kitty Genovese being assailed and murdered by Winston Moseley. The reason this situation became so popularRead MoreThe Bystander Effect On Children1132 Words   |  5 PagesDimitri Alaiwat Mrs. Gumina English III 22 March 2015 The Bystander Effect Would one help some random person on the street in need? What if they were out in the frigid cold with no home or warm clothes? How about if the person was a woman getting physically harassed by her boyfriend? Most people would say â€Å"yes† to these questions, but would they actually help if any of these situations occurred in their lives? â€Å"The bystander effect is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases in which