A middle-aged woman is sitting on a bench in the busy shopping mall, holding her head in her hands, visibly upset and crying. Nobody stops to see if she needs assistance. Based on what you read in the text, the most likely explanation for why nobody helps in this situation is:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Diffusion of responsibility occurs when individuals feel less personal responsibility to help in a situation because others are present who could also help. In this case, since there are many people around, each individual may assume that someone else will step in to assist the woman, leading to a lack of action.

A Middle-Aged Woman Is Sitting on a Bench in the Busy