The Bystander Effect
I will take with me many things from psychology, but I know I will never forget the myth of "safety in numbers." They bystander effect is the phenomenon in which the greater the number of people present, the less likely people are to help a person in distress. This occurrence is interesting to me because it does seem like the opposite would occur. The larger the group, the less obligated people feel to help. Many people may find the situation to be too dangerous or they just don't want to get involved. The presence of others makes each person feel less responsible for the outcome. This is something I will remember because it shocks me, and terrifies me. I would hope someone would help me in an emergency instead of just walk by, but at the same time, I hope I would help someone as well. I think I would, but you never really know how you are going to react until you're actually in the situation. I think learning about this phenomenon has made me more conscientious of this occurrence and five years from now, I feel like I will be more likely to take action.
Ali Behrens
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