Diffusion of responsibility

Diffusion of responsibility is also known as the "bystander effect." It is a type of behavior change observed among groups of people. It occurs when an individual does not take action or step forward to help another person when a group of people is present. Social psychologists largely attribute this behavior to an individual's belief that, in a group setting, someone else will do what needs to be done or already has done it. Many factors affect diffusion of responsibility. A person may assume that they are not the best person to take action. A person may feel nervous about getting involved and not knowing what to do, or a person may simply be too shy to step forward.

Background

Perhaps the most famous example of diffusion of responsibility and the beginning of psychosocial research into the phenomenon was the murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964. Genovese was attacked outside her New York apartment. Despite her calls for help, none of her neighbors responded to her screams or called the police. Four years later, psychologists John Darley and Bibb Latané published the article "Bystander Intervention in Emergencies: Diffusion of Responsibility," which examined this behavior. Darley and Latané concluded that Genovese's neighbors determined that it was more likely that one of her other neighbors had already taken action and called the police; therefore, their own action was unnecessary.

Several other factors influence whether a person in a group will take action to assist another. If the distressed person is known to a group member or if the distressed person makes some sort of connection—even just a moment of eye contact—to a group member, that person may be more likely to take action. If the action that a person needs to take is clear or if the person has particular skills that can be of assistance in this specific situation, they will be more likely to step forward and take responsibility. If the situation is unclear or uncertain, however, people are less likely to help. In the Genovese case, for example, some neighbors stated that they thought they were simply hearing a domestic dispute, not an attack. Research has shown that discrimination plays a role in diffusion of responsibility, too. People who have an inherent bias against an individual in need will be less likely to help. This applies regardless of whether the bias is based on gender, appearance, race, or socioeconomic status (e.g., people may be less likely to offer assistance to a homeless person in distress than to some other person).

Overview

Diffusion of responsibility can have major implications across all areas of society. For this reason, it is a common area of study in the field of social psychology, which examines how an individual's thoughts, feelings, and actions are influenced by others. A great deal of research demonstrates how drastically people's behavior changes when they are in a group. Beyond the bystander effect, research has shown that groups tend to be more aggressive and, when making decisions, choose options with more inherent risk. When people work in a group, a phenomenon called social loafing often occurs. Each person puts in less effort than they would put in if they were alone. Psychologists theorize that these behaviors occur because people feel less responsible for outcomes—particularly negative ones—when they are in a group than when they are by themselves.

One frequently studied component of the issue of diffusion of responsibility is the need for individuals to feel a sense of agency. When a person feels a sense of agency, they believe that specific actions can have a direct influence—and even control—over the outcome of an event. It is likely that when other people are present, an individual's sense of agency is reduced, which makes them less likely to act.

The effects of diffusion of responsibility can be seen in people of all ages and across all sectors—in the workplace, in schools, or even just in public places where additional people are present. Diffusion of responsibility has been demonstrated in children as young as five, and the behavior is observed equally between women and men. In some cases, the concept of a "partner in crime" is displayed. Two people will demonstrate a willingness to behave more antisocially toward a third person than two individuals would behave toward one another. Researchers theorize that having a partner in crime makes antisocial behavior more acceptable, particularly when the other person has shared in the decision-making process to behave in such a way. Similar behavior is displayed across social networking sites. Researchers have found that when a person posts a request for help on a social networking site, other people are more likely to respond to the request if they see that fewer people are also on the site. When the number of people on the site increases (and is made visible to the viewer), individuals are less likely to respond to a request for help. Another apparent cause for the bystander effect is the human desire to follow social norms and behave in socially acceptable ways. If no one else in a group is reacting, people may question whether it is more socially acceptable or unacceptable to take action.

In the workplace, employees may be hesitant to share information with a manager or superior if they are aware that other staff members or individuals in their group are electing not to share the information. This can affect workplace productivity, job satisfaction, and even safety. In public, people can be hurt or even killed by diffusion of responsibility—if everyone assumes that someone else will take responsibility and no one does.

Psychologists have studied methods to prevent diffusion of responsibility among groups in schools and workplaces. Some strategies include assigning or displaying leadership; increasing self-awareness, removing anonymity, ensuring that all group members have some sort of incentive in the outcome and are therefore motivated to take responsibility themselves (rather than waiting for it to be assigned to them); and requesting help, when possible, from specific people rather than from the full group or team.

Bibliography

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Beyer, Frederike, et al. "Diffusion of Responsibility and Sense of Agency." Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Nov. 2016, doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw160. Accessed 14 Dec. 2024.

Darley, John M., and Bibb Latane. "Bystander Intervention in Emergencies: Diffusion of Responsibility." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 8, no. 4, 1968, pp. 377-383.

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Martin, Katie K., and Adrian C. North. "Diffusion of Responsibility on Social Networking Sites." Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 44, Mar. 2015, pp. 124–31.

Singal, Jesse. "Researchers Found the 'Bystander Effect' in 5-Year-Olds." New York Magazine, 13 Apr. 2015, nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/04/bystander-effect-in-5-year-olds.html. Accessed 14 Dec. 2024.

Sockolov, Elizabeth. "Diffusion of Responsibility: Definition and Examples." One Mind Therapy, 11 Sep. 2017, onemindtherapy.com/social-psychology/diffusion-of-responsibility. Accessed 14 Dec. 2024.