Final answer:
Ken Brown's stance on the bystander effect is not discussed, but the concept refers to the reduced likelihood of helping someone in need when others are present, due to diffusion of responsibility.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ken Brown's agreement or disagreement with the bystander effect isn't mentioned in the provided context. However, the bystander effect is a psychological phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present, a concept closely associated with the idea of diffusion of responsibility. This effect suggests that in the presence of others, personal responsibility to act decreases because it is felt that someone else will intervene. The murder of Kitty Genovese, where witnesses reportedly did not call the police during her attack, is often cited as an example of the bystander effect, though later accounts clarified some did take actions.
The bystander effect is applicable in various scenarios, such as witnessing a car accident and assuming that others have already made emergency calls, or observing someone in a seizure and hesitating to help if others are around. Kierns noted that negative social forces can lead to positive social change, implying that understanding the bystander effect can lead to better intervention strategies and promote prosocial behavior.