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The Parable of the 38 Witnesses
The Parable of the 38 Witnesses is the widely taught but historically inaccurate story of Kitty Genovese, a New York woman whose murder was supposedly watched by 38 bystanders who did nothing to intervene. While this standard narrative inspired foundational research on the bystander effect, scholars note it is misleading, as fewer witnesses existed and some did attempt to help; focusing solely on this parable may obscure other important conditions for collective emergency response.
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Diffusion of Responsibility
The Parable of the 38 Witnesses
A person faints on a busy sidewalk packed with dozens of people, and it takes several minutes before anyone offers assistance. In a separate incident, a person faints on a nearly empty sidewalk with only one other person present, and that individual immediately rushes to help. The difference in the speed of help offered in these two situations is best explained by which of the following phenomena?
Diffusion of Responsibility
Darley and Latané Simulated Emergency Experiment
The Parable of the 38 Witnesses
Which of the following best defines the bystander effect?
A researcher studying helping behavior finds that a person who pretends to faint in a crowded subway car with 15 passengers is less likely to receive assistance than a person who pretends to faint in a nearly empty car with only 1 other passenger. This finding is consistent with what psychologists call the bystander effect.