Main Forces Influencing Responses in Emergency Situations
Diffusion of Responsibility
There are two prevalent forces that influence bystanders not to take action during an emergency – unclear responsibility and personal distress. First, the presence of other people can trick the mind into thinking that different individuals can attend to the emergency, which requires no participation from the actual observer. This phenomenon is what Darley and Latané (1968) refer to as diffusion of responsibility.
Bystander Apathy
However, the more recent outlook on this problem indicates that aside from the social pressure to conform, the ability to control one’s emotions is also a crucial factor. Hortensius and De Gelder (2018) argue that bystander apathy “is dependent on a mechanism similar to a reflex, especially for people with a disposition to experience personal distress” (p. 252). In essence, observing the suffering of others causes a robust aversive reaction and avoidant behavior, which prevents people from taking action.
Personal Experience of the Phenomenon in Emergency Situations
My personal experience also suggests that the diffusion of responsibility is not universal. I saw a person getting shot and the lack of any meaningful reaction from several people who were nearby. It was evident to me that they were paralyzed and too emotionally distant to connect with an injured victim.
Yet, the most surprising aspect of that situation was that it was a bystander who called the police after all – however, this person was not among the first observers. He was in a motor vehicle passing by when he saw the lying body. If diffusion of responsibility were the determining factor, he would not have acted as well – after all, there were other people on the scene.
However, the fact that he was in a motor vehicle makes me think that he experienced less personal distress and was more motivated to help the victim, as opposed to bystanders transfixed by the uncomfortable reality. As a result, the amount of personal distress was the driving force behind mine and the motor vehicle driver’s behavior, as well as the lack of response from other people.
References
Darley, J. M., & Latané, B. (1968). Bystander intervention in emergencies: Diffusion of responsibility. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 8(4), 377-383. Web.
Hortensius, R., & De Gelder, B. (2018). From empathy to apathy: The bystander effect revisited. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(4), 249-256. Web.