What does the term "bystander effect" refer to?

The term "bystander effect" specifically refers to the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help a person in need during an emergency when there are other people present compared to when they are alone. This can be attributed to a diffusion of responsibility, whereby individuals feel less personal responsibility to act if others are around. The presence of multiple witnesses can lead to each person waiting for someone else to take action, resulting in a lack of intervention.

Understanding this concept is crucial in social psychology as it highlights the complexities of human behavior in emergency situations and underscores how social dynamics can impact decision-making and actions. The idea has been studied extensively through various experiments, illustrating that as the number of bystanders increases, the likelihood of any single individual intervening decreases.