Samantha just had her purse stolen while walking down Fifth Avenue in New York City, which is a very busy part of Manhattan. She screamed loudly, and several people looked in her direction, but nobody stopped walking or made an attempt to help. She immediately broke down in tears and trembled for 10 minutes until she could walk to her car. This is an example of ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The bystander effect is a phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help in an emergency situation when other people are present. In this scenario, even though several people looked in Samantha's direction, they did not offer any assistance or stop walking. This is a classic example of the bystander effect.

Samantha Just Had Her Purse Stolen While Walking Down Fifth