← all facts
psychology
You are less likely to help if others are watching.
The presence of other witnesses significantly reduces the individual probability that someone will offer help in an emergency.
This is due to diffusion of responsibility, where you assume someone else will intervene. You look for cues from others before acting, and when everyone stays still, you conclude that action is unnecessary. Your hesitation is a shared social signal.
A crowd is often the greatest obstacle to taking action.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Latane and Darley, 1968
- What the check found
- This is a foundational concept in social psychology. While the effect is context-dependent, the claim correctly reflects the widely established findings of the 1968 Latané and Darley experiments.
- Confidence
- Solid, with limits
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.