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Ten years of research on group size and helping.
Abstract
In the decade following Latane and Darley's publication of the discovery that the presence of other people inhibits an individual from intervening in an emergency, numerous researchers have attempted to replicate this finding, extend its range of applicability, and determine what boundary conditions limit it. In the present article, we review both published and unpublished research, with special attention to the nature of the precipitating incident, the ambiguity of the helping situation, laboratory versus field settings, characteristics of the subjects, of the victim, and of other bystanders, and the amount and kinds of communication among bystanders. We conclude that, despite the great diversity of styles, settings, and techniques among the studies, the social inhibition of helping is a remarkably consistent phenomenon; but we identify some conditions under which the effect can be weakened or eliminated. Finally, we explore the implications of these findings for assessing and increasing a victim's likelihood of receiving help. Some 10 years have passed since Latane and Darley (1970) published their monograph reporting the results of a program of research on bystander intervention in emergencies. This research provided strong support for the general proposition that "the presence of other people serves to inhibit the impulse to help " (p. 38), Their work elicited a good deal of interest, and it has stimulated a large amount of subsequent research in this area. We see at leas…
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“The collected data shows a robust tendency, namely that the chance of help being offered diminishes as the number of witnesses increases.”
From Pluralistic ignorance in the bystander effect: informational dynamics of unresponsive witnesses in situations calling for intervention (2014) · cites this paper as Latané and Nida (1981)
In the citing paper
“Summarizing 33 studies with face-to-face interaction, the effective individual probability of helping was 50%, with an effective individual response rate in groups only 22%.”
From Pluralistic ignorance in the bystander effect: informational dynamics of unresponsive witnesses in situations calling for intervention (2014) · cites this paper as Latané and Nida, 1981
In the citing paper
“Most of these studies involved groups of 2.”
From Pluralistic ignorance in the bystander effect: informational dynamics of unresponsive witnesses in situations calling for intervention (2014) · cites this paper as Latané and Nida, 1981
In the citing paper
“The meta-study (Latané and Nida, 1981) strongly indicates that determining social influence occurs in groups of size 2.”
From Pluralistic ignorance in the bystander effect: informational dynamics of unresponsive witnesses in situations calling for intervention (2014) · cites this paper as Latané and Nida, 1981
Citations
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“In the initial study of this type (Darley & Latane, 1968), participants in a group discussion heard (via an intercom) a fellow participant suffer a seizure.”
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“Furthermore, descriptive norms that conflict with an injunctive norm may be more likely to supersede the injunctive norm’s effect in a distressing situation (Fischer et al., 2011; Latané & Nida, 1981).”
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“…(Weaver, Moskowitz, and Darley 2002), evaluation apprehension (Latane and Darley 1970), diffusion of responsibility (Latane and Darley 1970; Latane and Nida 1981), reciprocity (Axelrod and Hamilton 1981; Trivers 1971; Bhatnager and Machanda 2013), social group membership (Latane and Rodin…”
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“In diffusion of responsibility, students may assume that someone else will turn off the lights (Blair, Thompson, & Wuensch, 2005; Latané & Darley, 1970; Latané & Nida, 1981).”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Latané, B., & Nida, S.
- Affiliations
- The Ohio State University (US)
- Venue
- Psychological Bulletin
- Published
- 1981-03
- Volume
- 89
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 308-324
- ISSN
- 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1455
- OpenAlex
- W2163256700
- Cited by
- 749
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 48 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 36 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 45 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 62 · 2012: 26
- FWCI
- 26.90
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychology of Social Influence
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Emergency Medicine › Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation
- Keywords
- bystander intervention, group size, diffusion of responsibility, emergency situations, helping behavior, victim characteristics, boundary conditions, replication
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