Cited by 3,085Social and Intergroup PsychologyPsychology of Social InfluenceCardiac Arrest and Resuscitation

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Bystander intervention in emergencies: Diffusion of responsibility.

Darley, John M., Latane, Bibb·1968·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

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Abstract

Ss overheard an epileptic seizure. They believed either that they alone heard the emergency, or that 1 or 4 unseen others were also present. As predicted the presence of other bystanders reduced the individual's feelings of personal responsibility and lowered his speed of reporting (p < .01). In groups of size 3, males reported no faster than females, and females reported no slower when the 1 other bystander was a male rather than a female. In general, personality and background measures were not predictive of helping. Bystander inaction in real-life emergencies is often explained by apathy, alienation, and anomie. This experiment suggests that the explanation may lie more in the bystander's response to other observers than in his indifference to the victim.

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“For example, in two recent experiments, mindfulness trainees had an opportunity to offer their seat to a confederate on crutches, and in the presence of two bystanders, the latter a situational factor reliably shown to reduce helping behavior (Darley & Latané, 1968).”
Background
Personality Psychology’s Comeback and Its Emerging Symbiosis With Social Psychology
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“When Funder and Ozer (1983) transformed the effect sizes of several landmark experimental studies (e.g., Darley & Batson, 1973; Darley & Latane, 1968; Festinger & Carlsmith, 1959; Milgram, 1965) into r values, they discovered that they ranged from .34 to .42—the same range within which Nisbett (1980) placed personalit…”
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Social Engineering in Cybersecurity: Effect Mechanisms, Human Vulnerabilities and Attack Methods
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“…between empirical and definitional propositions can be further illustrated by the common reaction to studies demonstrating a strong impact of situational factors on moral behaviour (e.g., Darley & Batson, 1973; Darley & Latané, 1968; Haney et al., 1973; Latané & Darley, 1968; Milgram, 1963).”
Background
The productivity measurement and enhancement system: A meta-analysis.
Pritchard, R. D., Harrell, M. M., DiazGranados, D., & Guzman, M. J. (2008) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-9010.93.3.540 · Cited by 170
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“However, previous research on threshold models of social contagion [16–19], the ‘‘free-rider’’ problem in collective action [20], social loafing in groups [21], the Volunteer’s Dilemma [22], the ‘‘bystander effect,’’ and the diffusion of responsibility [23] all point to a very different possibility: that an individual…”
Background
The Relationship of Built Environment to Perceived Social Support and Psychological Distress in Hispanic Elders: The Role of "Eyes on the Street"
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“…individual responsibility to assist in an emergency or nonemergency situation because they see that other observers are potentially available to provide help, and thus the responsibility for helping is diffused among multiple observers on that block ( Darley & Latané, 1968 ; Jones & Foshay, 1984 ).”
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Dirty work, clean hands: The moral psychology of indirect agency
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“27 latter explanation posits a diffusion of responsibility (Darley and Latane, 1968) from the primary agent to the secondary agent when the primary agent’s control over the secondary agent is in question.”
BackgroundInfluential
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“…were self-report; future studies should incorporate behavioral measures of willingness to intervene (or actual intervention) to evaluate whether attitudes to intervene are correlated with behaviors, and further explore possible bystander effects (Darley & Latané, 1968; Latané & Darley, 1970).”
Background
Target Article: "The Really Fundamental Attribution Error in Social Psychological Research"
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“First, studies increasingly highlight the power of situational variables in determining behavior, including external influences that override internal sources of control such as self-values and personality (e.g., Darley & Latane 1968; Milgram 1963; Mischel 1973; Ross & Nisbett 1991).”
Background
Desensitization to portrayals of real-life aggression as a function of exposure to television violence.
Thomas, M. H., Horton, R. W., Lippincott, E. C., & Drabman, R. S. (1977) · PubMed · Cited by 157
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“First, studies involving diffusion of responsibility examined the willingness to help distressed individuals in emergency settings that involve physical harm to a specific victim, such as a seizure (Darley and Latane 1968) or a smoke-filled room (Latane and Darley 1968).”
BackgroundInfluential
Learning concern for others.
Yarrow, M. R., Scott, P. M., & Zahn‐Waxler, C. (1973) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/h0034159 · Cited by 154
Psychological Health in Cancer Survivors
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Authors: Darley, J. M., & Latane, B.
Affiliations: New York University (US)
Venue: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 1968
Volume: 8
Issue: 4, Pt.1
Pages: 377-383
ISSN: 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
1939-1315
DOI: 10.1037/h0025589
OpenAlex: W2171602877
Semantic Scholar: a17d8ee9f157ebeb2f520406c1d79346ceb532c8
Cited by: 3,083
References: 7
Citations by year: 2026: 158 · 2025: 139 · 2024: 161 · 2023: 129 · 2022: 142 · 2021: 178 · 2020: 152 · 2019: 175 · 2018: 168 · 2017: 131 · 2016: 143 · 2015: 118 · 2014: 138 · 2013: 135 · 2012: 99
FWCI: 113.77
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychology of Social Influence
Health Sciences › Medicine › Emergency Medicine › Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation
Keywords: bystander intervention, diffusion of responsibility, emergency situations, helping behavior, personal responsibility, group size, gender differences, apathy, anomie, alienation
MeSH terms: Character, Conflict, Psychological, Decision Making, Emergencies, Female, Group Processes, Group Structure, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Perception, Psychology, Social, Reaction Time, Sex Factors

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Bystander intervention in emergencies: Diffusion of responsibility.

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