Question

Sally is walking down the street when she sees a man having a fit. Approximately 15 other people stop as well and all recognize that this is a real emergency and all are genuinely concerned about the man's wellbeing. However, nobody calls for help because, like Sally, they all assume that someone else has already called an ambulance. In this instance, the lack of help appears to be the product of ________.

1) only diffusion of responsibility
2) only social comparison
3) both diffusion of responsibility and social comparison
4) neither diffusion of responsibility or social comparison

Answer 1

The correct answer is diffusion of responsibility, where Sally and other bystanders fail to act in an emergency, assuming someone else will.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the scenario where Sally witnesses a man having a fit and doesn't take action because she assumes that someone else has, the lack of help from her and the other bystanders is the product of diffusion of responsibility. This social psychological phenomenon occurs when individuals in a group fail to act because they believe someone else will, thereby spreading the responsibility among the group instead of taking personal initiative. It is not related to social comparison, which involves looking to others to determine how to behave in ambiguous situations. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is: 1) only diffusion of responsibility.