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Your text discusses the diffusion of
responsibility—a belief that others will help someone, leading to a lessened
sense of responsibility and a lower probability of helping. To demonstrate the
diffusion of responsibility, when you are at work, on campus, in public, or in
some other situation, act as if you need help with some minor problem. For
example, you can look around confusedly while holding a map, drop your books or
something that will scatter a bit. Do something innocuous and harmless to
yourself. Do this a couple of times: once when there are several people present
and once when there are only one or two people around.
After
you complete these experiments, write down your notes right away. Compose an
essay addressing the following points:
-Describe what you did.
-Explain the response to the situation when
many people were present and when only a few people were present.
-Discuss whether there were any differences in
behavior when many people were present and when few people were present.
-Discuss if the people’s responses fit with the
text’s discussion of the bystander effect. If your demonstration did not work
out, explain why you think it might not have.
-Draw on research from the textbook or another
resource to support your answer
Diffusion
of Responsibility
Name
Institutional
affiliation
Date
Diffusion
of Responsibility
Diffusion
of responsibility involves beliefs that in a group of people, others will help
those in need, therefore resulting in the experience of a reduced sense of
responsibility (Cherry, 2018). I was given the assignment to experiment with
the demonstration of the diffusion of responsibility in a public place. To
achieve my experiment objectives, I walked into Stanley Park where I pretended
to fall to the ground and started to convulse exhibiting a state of developing
seizures. I repeated the same action in different areas of the park, most
especially in areas where several people were present and where only a few
people were around. My primary aim was to document how people react when under
pressure or not to respond.
When
before a larger group of people at the park, I noticed that many people turned
around and looked at me while I was pretending to convulse, but they did not
offer any help. Many people did not move to where I was or even thought of
calling for medical assistance. However, this was not the case when I moved to
another area of the park that was less congested, and I repeated the same
action of falling to the ground and starting to convulse. I noticed that the
response rate was different; in a less congested area, those present responded
quickly.
The reality of the diffusion of responsibility
explains the difference in response rate between individuals in a large group
setting and those in a small group. When I pretended to convulse in a large
group of people, many people just walked away without offering any help.
According to Aronson, Wilson, and Akert (2013), the chances of an individual in
need being helped by anyone from a large group of people is reduced by the
diffusion of responsibility. Nonetheless, when I repeated my actions before a
small group of people, the response rate was high as most of the targeted
individuals responded and offered to help. This is because in a small group of
people the sense of responsibility is high due to people feeling the pressure
to be responsible (Cherry, 2018).
The response I elicited from the people I targeted in my experiment did fit...
