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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bystander effect | 8/8 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T15:56:57.355289+00:00 | kb-cron |
== Counterexample == In 2019, a large international cultural anthropology study analyzed 219 street disputes and confrontations that were recorded by security cameras in three cities in different countries: Lancaster, Amsterdam, and Cape Town. Contrary to the hypothesis of the bystander effect, the study found that bystanders intervened in almost every case, and the chance of intervention went up with the number of bystanders, "a highly radical discovery and a completely different outcome than theory predicts".
This study is the first large-scale test of the bystander effect in real-life. Up until now, this effect was mainly studied in the lab by asking study subjects how they would respond in a particular situation. Another striking aspect of this study is that the observations come from three different countries[,] including the violent country of South Africa[,] where intervening in a street dispute is not without risk. [...] Nevertheless, peacemakers do draw a line according to a follow-up study [...] In the case of armed robberies, bystanders intervene far less. Contradicting the follow-up study mentioned, a 2022 study conducted by one of the same researchers of the initial 2019 study has found that the presence of a weapon had no effect on whether people would intervene or not. Unlike most prior studies on the bystander effect, these studies focused on the likelihood of receiving help in a public confrontation at all, rather than simply comparing the difference between likelihood of bystander intervention when alone or in a group. The 2019 study concluded that the decreased likelihood of a particular person helping was offset by the increased likelihood that at least someone would help. Findings were consistent with other studies that showed lower rates of bystander apathy when the situation was a dangerous emergency.
== See also == Belief perseverance Duty to rescue Empathy-altruism Good Samaritan law Lynching Omission bias One Night (2012 film) Rubbernecking Social loafing Somebody else's problem "The Finale" (Seinfeld)
== References ==
=== Notes ===
=== Citations ===
== External links ==
"Don't Just Stand There – Do Something", Safety Canada, January 2004. "ABC News: What Would You Do in a Hit and Run?" by Lauren Cox and Radha Chitale, ABC News, June 6, 2008.