Nancy, a Busy, Middle-Aged Mother of Two, Made a Quick

Nancy, a busy, middle-aged mother of two, made a quick stop at the grocery store on the way to pick up her kids from school. As she rounded the corner by the canned food display, her arms filled with loaves of bread, she suddenly slipped and fell down in a puddle of spilled milk. Dripping with milk and grasping her crushed bread loaves, Nancy slowly got up and began limping toward the check-out counter. Although several people witnessed the accident, no one offered Nancy any assistance, even though her knee was clearly bleeding as a result of her fall. Which of the following statements best explains the indifference of the other grocery store patrons?

A) Because Nancy was a middle-aged woman, the crowd believed she could take care of herself.
B) The indifference was probably due to the bystander effect.
C) The indifference was probably due to prejudice.
D) Because Nancy was a mother, the crowd fell victim to the altruism effect.