Darley and Latane knew-they had to prove their theory scientifically, so they set up an experiment with college students to test it. They divided the students into three groups. They took each student to small building. They put him or her in a room with a TV screen that showed another person in a different room in the building; then they left. Students in the first group thought that they were alone in the building. Students in the second group thought that there was one other person in the building. Students in the third group thought that there were four other people in the building. As part of the experiment, the person on the TV screen pretended to become ill and called out for help. In the first group, where students believed they were the only people in the building, 85 percent went to get help for the person. In the second group, only 62 percent tried to help. In the third group, only 31 percent tried to help. The results supported Darley and Latane’s theory. They figured out that having mere witnesses did not mean that help was more likely. In fact, the opposite was true.
Social psychologists believe the bystander effect can apply to a number of everyday situations. For example, on a busy sidewalk, you might not give money to a homeless man (or help someone who falls down). On a crowded subway, you may-not give up your seat to an elderly person. On the highway, you might choose not to stop and help someone change a flat tire. In these situations, you-and the other bystanders-feel less responsible because so many people are around to help, so no one ends up helping at all.
The bystander effect is one of the many factors that influence a person’s decision to help out a stranger in need. Some people might naturally feel more desire to help. Some cultures might put more importance on helping strangers than others do. Some cities and towns could be designed to be more friendly than others. However, psychologists know that humans are naturally influenced by the presence of others around them even if they are not aware of it.