Professor Latané, along with the social psychologist John M. Darley, sought to replicate real-life emergencies through a series of lab experiments with people who did not know one another. In an interview, Professor Latané said the theories that he and Mr. Darley had developed nearly five decades ago were frequently overlooked by those who cling to popular notions of the emotionally detached bystander. The 2019 study by Professor Philpot, for one, found that a greater number of bystanders increased the prospects for intervention. Although Professor Philpot said his research was not aimed at testing the bystander effect theory, the findings suggest that there is safety in numbers. “Talking to other bystanders is really important, because often we don’t know that others are also concerned,” he said.

Source: International New York Times April 03, 2021 09:00 UTC