You are walking through a crowded hallway on your way to class; up ahead you see another student is walking to class and they just dropped their water bottle. Instead of going and helping her you think, "It's a crowded hallway; someone else will help pick up their water bottle". This is known as the Bystander Effect-someone believing that another person will help someone in a situation. It might not be exactly like this situation, but sometimes, unconsciously, people do not help others because they believe other people will help. The water bottle situation happened to me the other day. I was walking to class and a person dropped their water bottle and I decided not to help because I knew that there were other people around who could help just as well as I could. Even though in this situation it was not a matter of life or death but there are some situations that people don't help others in dire need. For example in our textbook it explains how a woman was screaming and yelling for help while she was being murdered and no one came to her rescue. In these types of situations people should not fall into the bystander effect, people should know that the tendencies are if there are many people around a person is less likely to come to help those in desperate need.
Don't Do It
No TrackBacks
TrackBack URL: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/187562
I think the video is an amazing example of the bystander effect and this topic still seems to amaze me every time i listen or watch something about it. Even though I want to say I have never participated in this effect, sadly I have and I think overall a lot of people have. It is common for human nature because we are in crowded areas and think that since there are so many other people, they will help instead. But this is what every person thinks so then no one goes to help.
Great video. I've seen it first hand as well, not to this extreme, but the same concept applies (teacher asks question in lecture and no one answers because they think someone else will answer the question).
This video was pretty shocking to me, because this person could easily be in a real life threatening situation and no one helped him. I understand when people may not run over and help someone who just dropped their books, because that person will be fine and it most likely didn't hurt them in any way. The people who help in those situations are just being kind and helpful. However, I can't believe that, that many people (in the video) would just walk by someone without even asking him if he is okay. I hope that I never am a victim to the bystander effect in situations like the video, because I know that I would want someone to instantly help me if I am ever hurt in public.
bystander effect can sometime lead to ignorance. I come from a city with 7 million people live in. there was one time i want to take the bus but I don't have any change. i really needed to take the bus and there is a full load of people on the bus. no one offered any help even though it would only cost 15cents.
I have also experienced the bystander effect first hand. I have walked right by a person in need in a busy hall, yet I have helped people with minor things like picking up a dropped binder when there was nobody else around. Great example with the video, by the way.
Your video amazed me at how careless people can be! at 1:05 the man who passes by and slows down to look at the guy, but then continues to walk away shocked me because he blatently saw that the man needed help. I hope I never fall victim to the bystander-effect whether I am in need or someone else is.