Final answer:
Latané and Darley's research concludes that as the number of bystanders increases, the likelihood of any one bystander taking action decreases, due to the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility. This understanding is essential for promoting prosocial behavior in group settings.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of situational influences, Latané and Darley surmised that as the number of bystanders increases, any given bystander is less likely to take action than when he or she is alone. This concept is known as the bystander effect, which is closely related to the phenomenon of diffusion of responsibility. Essentially, when more people are present, the sense of individual responsibility diminishes, and each person assumes that someone else will intervene or take action. This can lead to a situation where no one takes any action at all.
The bystander effect was brought to public attention following the tragic case of Kitty Genovese, where it was reported that numerous neighbors did not intervene to help her during an attack. The research by Latané and Darley helps to explain this behavior, suggesting that with the greater number of witnesses, there was a diffusion of responsibility, leading to a decreased likelihood that any one person would take action.
Understanding the bystander effect is crucial in the study of prosocial behavior and can have implications for how we address emergencies and social norms violations in group settings. Being aware of this effect can potentially empower individuals to act despite the presence of others, counteracting the natural tendency to rely on others to intervene.