5
The Bystander Outline
Introduction
Thesis statement: An in-depth understanding of the concept of the bystander effect will help provide insights as to why people may choose to help a person or not depending on how many people are there and why it can be useful and problematic in different situations.
Understating bystander effect bias
The definition of the bystander effect
The influence of how people are affected by how others perceive them when faced with a crime, a bully, or intervening in emergencies (Psychology Today Staff).
Some examples
An example is when a person fails to help a friend because they are an event when there are many people, and they fear that they will also be embarrassed if they help (Plötner et al., 2015).
When a person fails to intervene in a robbery, they can’t stop because they are afraid they will be hurt.
When and why the bystander effect can have positive outcomes
It helps people stay calm during emergencies and helps people come down instead of acting irrationally, thus preventing the number of injuries and deaths (Fischer et al., 2011).
It is good when effectively used to trigger and foster positive behavior and attitudes(Van Bommel et al., 2012).
When it increases helping in situations with high expected negative consequences for the helper (Fischer & Greitemeyer, 2013)
When and why the bystander effect can be problematic
It is problematic when it results in the death or injury of someone who could have otherwise been saved (Kettrey & Marx, 2021).
It is problematic if it results in breaking laws and norm violations that are likely to affect an individual later (Chekroun & Brauer, 2002).
Therefore, the bystander effect might have a positive or negative impact depending on different situations and factors.
Bystander effect talks about situations where a person will behave based on how they are likely to be perceived or affected by others in emergencies.
The way we do nothing as we watch cyberbullying activities (Hendricks, 2014).
Example of an event of bystander effect that resulted in positive outcomes
The social movements and campaigns help to fight the violence that is likely to result in risks of death to help achieve a higher good (Jacob, 2021).
Example of an event that showed why the bystander effect might be problematic.
The killing of Kitty Genovese in Queens, New York, in 1964 (Emeghara, 2020).
Conclusion
In conclusion, one understands the different real-life situations that are hard to imag9ne happened through understanding the concept of the bystander effect.
References
Chekroun, P., & Brauer, M. (2002). The bystander effect and social control behavior: The effect of the presence of others on people’s reactions to norm violations. European Journal of Social Psychology, 32(6), 853-867.
Cieciura, J. (2016). A summary of the bystander effect: Historical development and relevance in the Digital Age. Inquiries Journal, 8(11).
Emeghara, U. (2020 September). Bystander Effect and Diffusion of Responsibility. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/bystander-effect.html
Fischer, P., & Greitemeyer, T. (2013). The positive bystander effect: Passive bystanders increase helping in situations with high expected negative consequences for the helper. The Journal of social psychology, 153(1), 1-5.
Fischer, P., Krueger, J. I., Greitemeyer, T., Vogrincic, C., Kastenmüller, A., Frey, D., … & Kainbacher, M. (2011). The bystander-effect: a meta-analytic review on bystander intervention in dangerous and non-dangerous emergencies. Psychological bulletin, 137(4), 517.
Hall, E. J. (2003). The bystander effect. Health physics, 85(1), 31-35.
Hendricks, V. (2014). The 21st century bystander effect happens every day online. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/the-21st-century-bystander-effect-happens-every-day-online-27496
Jacob, A. (2021). Would You Jump In to Stop an Assault? New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/03/science/bystander-effect.html
Kettrey, H. H., & Marx, R. A. (2021). Effects of bystander sexual assault prevention programs on promoting intervention skills and combatting the bystander effect: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 17(3), 343-367.
Psychology Today Staff. (N.D.). Bystander Effect. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/bystander-effect
Plötner, M., Over, H., Carpenter, M., & Tomasello, M. (2015). Young children show the bystander effect in helping situations. Psychological science, 26(4), 499-506.
Van Bommel, M., van Prooijen, J. W., Elffers, H., & Van Lange, P. A. (2012). Be aware to care: Public self-awareness leads to a reversal of the bystander effect. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(4), 926-930.