Suppose that, one day, a fierce and crazy lion broke loose from the zoo. Instead of running around wildly, however, the lion calmed himself down rather quickly, walked through the crowds at the zoo, exited the facility, and made his way to a local park; here he stretched out to do some child-watching. People in the park were confused by the sudden presence of the lion. They thought to themselves: "Isn't that a lion?" "Um, is it really dangerous to have a lion right here?" However, none of them voiced their concerns, and as a result there was no communication about the lion; the park-goers ultimately assumed that there was a reason for the lion to be there ("otherwise," they thought, "someone would have said something"). And the lion ended up staying at the park for several hours. In this example, ____ was most at play.
A) the bystander effect
B) pluralistic ignorance
C) diffusion of responsibility
D) the commons dilemma

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The bystander effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help or take action in an emergency when others are present. Diffusion of responsibility is the idea that individuals are less likely to take responsibility for their actions in a group setting. The commons dilemma refers to a situation where individuals act in their own self-interest and harm the common good. In this scenario, the best fit is pluralistic ignorance, where individuals assume others know more than they do and are less likely to speak up or take action. The park-goers assumed that there was a reason for the lion to be there and didn't voice their concerns, leading to a situation of pluralistic ignorance.

Suppose That, One Day, a Fierce and Crazy Lion Broke