Final answer:
Bibb Lateen and John Darley researched the conditions influencing people's responses to emergencies by setting up controlled emergency simulations in a laboratory setting, which led to insights into the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility.
Step-by-step explanation:
Researchers Bibb Lateen and John Darley explored the circumstances under which people will or will not help in emergencies by creating a laboratory analogue of an emergency situation. Their studies focused on what is known as the bystander effect, a phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when they perceive that others are also observing the situation. By conducting experiments in a controlled environment, they were able to investigate the psychological processes involved in diffusion of responsibility, whereby the presence of others causes individuals to feel less personal responsibility to act in emergencies. These findings were crucial in understanding human behavior in critical situations and have had a profound impact on the field of social psychology.