A Study of the Bystander Effect in Different Helping Situations

Abstract

Objective. Explore the presence of the bystander effect in both general situations and emergency situations.
Background. The bystander effect, a classic discovery in social psychology, has attracted significant attention in recent years due to instances of bystander indifference in society. This phenomenon raises the question of whether the bystander effect occurs not only in general situations where help is needed but also in emergency situations.
Study design. The study uses empirical research to investigate the existence of the bystander effect in general and emergency situations.
Participants. Chinese sample: 200 people (university students from Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an University of Posts and Telecommunications, and Xi'an International Studies University in China) from 18 to 28 years old (M = 23,50; SD = 4,15).
Measurements. The used scenarios are based on McGuire’s (1994) taxonomy of helping behaviors.
Results. The results indicate that the bystander effect is present in general helping situations, but not in emergency scenarios.
Conclusions. This means that individuals are more likely to exhibit bystander behavior when encountering a situation where assistance is needed but not urgent. However, in emergency situations, the bystander effect does not seem to influence individuals' willingness to help.