Jeff, Andrea, and Nancy were busily working at their computers in the graduate student lounge when Jeff exclaimed, "My chest hurts." Neither Andrea nor Nancy responded to this exclamation. Nor did they respond when Jeff said again, "No, really, I think I could be having a heart attack." The two women continued typing, each of them thinking, "I don't need to worry about Jeff. The other person in the room will help him. What I need to worry about is my manuscript deadline." In this example, the graduate students have fallen victim to:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The graduate students' lack of response to Jeff's potential medical emergency is an example of the bystander effect, which occurs when the presence of others inhibits an individual from intervening in an emergency situation. The students likely assumed that someone else would help Jeff and therefore did not feel personally responsible for intervening themselves.

Jeff, Andrea, and Nancy Were Busily Working at Their Computers