Quote:
Originally Posted by David Johnston2
The bystander effect is the product of confusion about what can and should be done. If if someone takes charge and tells people what to do to help most people will comply and will in fact go to a great deal of trouble to help. Of course it is true that most people are not Charitable (at beyond a quirk level). But even a Charitable person may stand by when what needs to be done to help is not obvious to them.
|
That is part, but not all of it. It is also much easier to justify not helping when there is a huge crowd who aren't doing anything either. Following the behavior of the crowd tends to come rather naturally. Also under such conditions it is unlikely that you will later be personally condemned for failing to act. Both because being a part of a crowd give some anonymity and because almost all others who saw what you did, acted in the same way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sir_pudding
I can't think of any laws that I consider unimportant enough to knowingly break. There are laws that I might consider breaking because of an ethical consideration, but that's a reasonable case of conflicting quirks.
I don't think that the studies at all support this. Usually if you make the subject aware that they personally are in a position to help, most people do.
Yes, but that's because people have confusion about what their role is, not because they don't wish to help.
|
Well, it is of course impossible for me to know what, if any laws you would break, but I can give a couple of examples of violations many would consider acceptable. Certain trivial copyright violations that does not cause any significant harm, but for which the legal alternatives are very difficult (such as downloading a copy of an old publication which you can't find anyone who sells and for which it is not clear who owns the copyright) and a group of friends betting a small amount of money when playing poker with each other.
How are they made aware of that in the studies you are refering to? Anything that singles out a certain person is likely to reduce the sense of just following the crowd and the sense of anonymity.
It certainly seems reasonable that more people intervene under such circumstances though, but whether most people do so or not most likely depends heavily on how much effort is required and how dangerous it is. Whether they see the one needing help as an enemy should also be very important.