In a Darley and Latane-style study, participants discuss college life through an intercom. During the discussion, a peer appears to have a seizure. When participants believed they were alone with the victim, 85% sought help. When they believed four others were also present, only 31% did so, and they took longer to act.
Which intervention would most likely INCREASE helping in a real emergency?
- A
Increasing the size of the crowd
- Bcheck_circle
Singling out one person and asking them directly for help
- C
Making the emergency ambiguous
- D
Reducing eye contact between bystanders
Explanation
Directly identifying one person assigns clear responsibility, overcoming diffusion. Larger crowds, less eye contact, and ambiguity all worsen the bystander effect.