Final answer:
The bystander effect occurs when the presence of others discourages an individual from intervening in an emergency, attributed to the diffusion of responsibility, where each bystander assumes someone else will act.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of the bystander effect is rooted in social psychology and refers to the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when others are present. This reduction in the likelihood of intervention is often attributed to the diffusion of responsibility, where each person assumes someone else will take action. This can happen during emergencies, such as witnessing a crime or a health crisis like someone having a seizure.
Examples of the bystander effect can be found in various settings, from witnessing a grocery cart incident to observing smoke in a movie theater. In each situation, the presence or behavior of others influences an individual's decision to help or not. The diffusion of responsibility implies that the more witnesses there are, the less personally responsible each feels to intervene.
Research by Latané and Darley demonstrates how group dynamics significantly influence individual behavior in bystander scenarios. While originally considered to be influenced by personality traits, social psychologists now point to the situational context as a more relevant factor in whether an individual decides to help.