Latane & Darley (1968) - The Bystander Effect

What real-world event inspired this research

the Kitty Genovese murder

what question did Latane & Darley ask

why do people fail to help in emergencies

what is the bystander effect

the likelihood of helping decreases as the number of bystanders increases

what model did they propose

a 5 step cognitive model of helping

what is step 1 of the model

notice that something is happening

what is step 2 of the model

interpret the event as an emergency

what process interferes with step 2

pluralistic ignorance

what is pluralistic ignorance

looking to others’ inaction as a cue that help is unnecessary

what is step 3 of the model

take responsibility for helping

what process interferes with step 3

diffusion of responsibility

what was the while smoke experiment

participants ignored smoke when others appeared unconcerned

what was the seizure experiment

participants were slower to help as group size increased

what did these studies demonstrate

presence of others inhibits helping even in emergencies

how has the Kitty Genovese case been re-evaluated

fewer witnesses and more intervention than originally reported

what do CCTV studies show about real-world helping

bystanders often do intervene, especially collectively

how does social identity affect helping

people help more when they share group membership with the victim

what is the practical impact of this research

informs bystander and ally ship training

what is Latane & Darley’s key legacy

shifted focus from “bad people” to situational explanations of inaction