Psychology
The Bystander Effect in Emergency Situations
Quick fact
In a famous study by Latané and Darley (1968), 85% of participants who were alone in a room responded to a smoke emergency, but only 31% responded when in a group of three confederates acting passively.
Why this is interesting
Imagine you collapse on a busy street. Would more people help if fewer witnesses were present? Surprisingly, research shows that the more people who see an emergency, the less likely any one of them is to intervene.