The bystander effect: In crowds, people are less likely to help in emergencies due to diffusion of responsibility—each assumes someone else will act.
Sparked by the 1964 Kitty Genovese murder in Queens, where reports of many witnesses prompted questions on urban inaction.
Psychologists Bibb Latané & John Darley tested it: In their seizure experiment, 85% helped when alone vs. just 31% believing others were present.
Key factors: diffusion of responsibility, evaluation apprehension, pluralistic ignorance.
The insight endures—be the one who steps up. #BystanderEffect #Psychology