The Bystander Effect

[EMTSteve]

I read the thread "What's wrong with people" and it reminded me of...
-The Bystander Effect
I saw a program on it.
Multiple tests were performed where a man pretended to have a heart attack and collapse unconscious in the middle of a walkway of a busy mall.
People actually stepped OVER him and continued on their way. Some stopped briefly as if to think, "wow someone should help him" and they even continued on their way!! The “victim” actually laid in the middle of the walkway with dozens of people stepping over or around him for 15 minutes before someone stopped to help.
The test was also performed multiple times in an office waiting room with one other person present. 100% of the time the other person jumped up and helped the "victim" immediately.

I will also say What's wrong with people!!

 

[GregEMT19]

wow, it really does make you wonder what is wrong with people? do you have any more information about that program? I'd like to see more about that study.

 

[LucidResq]

It's a well-documented phenomenon in social psychology.

On March 13, 1964, a young woman named Kitty Genovese was repeatedly stabbed and then raped as she lay dying outside her Queens, NY apartment at 3:30 AM. As she screamed things like "Oh, my God, he stabbed me!" and "Please help me!", windows opened and lights flicked on as 38 of her neighbors were awoken by this violent attack. The attacker fled, but then returned to stab her 8 more times and rape her again.

None of her 38 neighbors did a thing until 3:50 AM, long after the attacker had fled for good, when one of them called police. Unfortunately Genovese died.

The bystander effect is real. A person is less likely to give aid to someone in need when other bystanders are present. I think a lot of it has to do with a diffusion of responsibility. If you're the only one there, you're the only one who knows about the problem, and you alone have the sole moral responsibility to help. But in a crowd people develop that herd mentality and feel less accountable for their actions... or lack thereof.

 

[MRE]

One of the things I make sure I tell my students when I am teaching First Aid or CPR is that if there is a victim and a group of on-lookers, and you just yell "somebody call 911", chances are that nobody will do it at first, and maybe not at all.

Better idea to actually point at someone and say "YOU; call 911".

 

[el Murpharino]

It's a well-documented phenomenon in social psychology.

On March 13, 1964, a young woman named Kitty Genovese was repeatedly stabbed and then raped as she lay dying outside her Queens, NY apartment at 3:30 AM. As she screamed things like "Oh, my God, he stabbed me!" and "Please help me!", windows opened and lights flicked on as 38 of her neighbors were awoken by this violent attack. The attacker fled, but then returned to stab her 8 more times and rape her again.

That's what the priest was referring to in the beginning of the movie 'The Boondock Saints'.

 

[EMTWintz]

Wow!!!! Thank you for posting that. Reading the replies in my post have made me feel very bad. Those who have chosen to help people thru the EMS are plain saying "Hey if im not on duty Im not helping" I would hate for that person to be them. I understand it is their own personal choice, but........

 

[GregEMT19]

Wow!!!! Thank you for posting that. Reading the replies in my post have made me feel very bad. Those who have chosen to help people thru the EMS are plain saying "Hey if im not on duty Im not helping" I would hate for that person to be them. I understand it is their own personal choice, but........

Not really sure what you mean by this???

 

[EMTWintz]

I read the thread "What's wrong with people" and it reminded me of...
-The Bystander Effect
I saw a program on it.
Multiple tests were performed where a man pretended to have a heart attack and collapse unconscious in the middle of a walkway of a busy mall.
People actually stepped OVER him and continued on their way. Some stopped briefly as if to think, "wow someone should help him" and they even continued on their way!! The “victim” actually laid in the middle of the walkway with dozens of people stepping over or around him for 15 minutes before someone stopped to help.
The test was also performed multiple times in an office waiting room with one other person present. 100% of the time the other person jumped up and helped the "victim" immediately.

I will also say What's wrong with people!!

This is what I was referring to

 

[GregEMT19]

Wait, nevermind. figured it out. my bad.

 

[EMTWintz]

Wait, nevermind. figured it out. my bad.

NP. Takes a minute sometimes to process info.^_^
BTW did you read all the replies from the "what wrong with people" post?

 

[mycrofft]

The exception?

A contrarian aspect is that so many people call in accidents and emergencies on cellphones, at least in Central California, that you get put on hold before you even get to talk to a real human. When I was stuck in a ditch a few years ago four or five people offered help, but that was in the country. In Omaha in the winter, I always stopped to help, and when I needed it, someone always stopped for me. In small town Oregon, however, if you were "on the outs"....bupkis, nada, eat poop and expire.
Is it regional?

 

[BossyCow]

It's very easy to sit back and armchair quarterback others. I have both stopped and not stopped at the scenes of accidents. I am a rural vollie and generally carry both a jump kit and my SAR pack in the truck of my car.

To make the broad generalization that you have a moral obligation to stop if you see an accident is not accurate or appropriate in all conditions. If I'm on the way to the store with my elderly neighbor in the car and I see a wreck, I am not going to stop, leaving her worried in the car. If I see a wreck and there are already people pulled over, I'm not going to stop. Yes, those people might not stay but it's not my responsibility to make sure they do. If I'm alone in the car and its late at night, I'm probably not going to stop.

Unless you are riding in the car with those passing by, it's not a fair assumption to lump them in as a part of the 'uncaring masses'. They may be unable to help for a variety of reasons. Quite frankly, when I show up on a scene in a rig, a large crowd of well meaning lookie-loos are a problem, not a help.

My state (Washington) recently passed into law an adjunct to its Good Samaritan law making it a misdemeanor to not at the very least, report an emergency incident. I've found in most cases that I've called dispatch to report a wreck or other incident, that I'm not the first one to call.

I think part of this is remembering who's emergency it is.

 

[Oregon]

A contrarian aspect is that so many people call in accidents and emergencies on cellphones, at least in Central California, that you get put on hold before you even get to talk to a real human. When I was stuck in a ditch a few years ago four or five people offered help, but that was in the country. In Omaha in the winter, I always stopped to help, and when I needed it, someone always stopped for me. In small town Oregon, however, if you were "on the outs"....bupkis, nada, eat poop and expire.
Is it regional?

I have no idea what is going on with people around here, but they never stop.
Sometimes this State sucks.
As a woman alone, if the scene is hinky, of course I'll call and not stay around, but usually it's just a dead guy smeared all over the interior of his car, nothing too scary.

 

[EMTSteve]

delete me.

 

[EMTSteve]

I read the thread "What's wrong with people" and it reminded me of...
-The Bystander Effect
I saw a program on it.
Multiple tests were performed where a man pretended to have a heart attack and collapse unconscious in the middle of a walkway of a busy mall.
People actually stepped OVER him and continued on their way. Some stopped briefly as if to think, "wow someone should help him" and they even continued on their way!! The “victim” actually laid in the middle of the walkway with dozens of people stepping over or around him for 15 minutes before someone stopped to help.
The test was also performed multiple times in an office waiting room with one other person present. 100% of the time the other person jumped up and helped the "victim" immediately.

I will also say What's wrong with people!!

Well it won't let me edit my first post...

Here is the video of the Bystander Effect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwMMMPjOW4g

----
-Also Watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE5YwN4NW5o

 

[abriggs]

It's very easy to sit back and armchair quarterback others. I have both stopped and not stopped at the scenes of accidents. I am a rural vollie and generally carry both a jump kit and my SAR pack in the truck of my car.

To make the broad generalization that you have a moral obligation to stop if you see an accident is not accurate or appropriate in all conditions. If I'm on the way to the store with my elderly neighbor in the car and I see a wreck, I am not going to stop, leaving her worried in the car. If I see a wreck and there are already people pulled over, I'm not going to stop. Yes, those people might not stay but it's not my responsibility to make sure they do. If I'm alone in the car and its late at night, I'm probably not going to stop.

Unless you are riding in the car with those passing by, it's not a fair assumption to lump them in as a part of the 'uncaring masses'. They may be unable to help for a variety of reasons. Quite frankly, when I show up on a scene in a rig, a large crowd of well meaning lookie-loos are a problem, not a help.

My state (Washington) recently passed into law an adjunct to its Good Samaritan law making it a misdemeanor to not at the very least, report an emergency incident. I've found in most cases that I've called dispatch to report a wreck or other incident, that I'm not the first one to call.

I think part of this is remembering who's emergency it is.

My instructor told me that it's really at your discretion if other people are there at the scene already, that's good advice is it not? He did make it very clear that he has both stopped and not stopped, AND been pulled over to stop by cops all at various times, really depending on the circumstances. I think that makes the most sense. I like what you said at the end..."remembering who's emergency it is"... sometimes your participation isn't helpful I guess.

 

[So. IL Medic]

Is it regional?

Quick answer - yes.

I remember in college walking downtown with a friend. He suddenly stopped and asked if I knew everybody in town. I had to think why he would ask that. Now, I grew up in a small midwestern town, went to college in a small midwestern town, where you nod, smile, say hello, exchange a little talk and walk on. He grew up in a larger city on the west coast where he said you didn't say anything to anybody unless you had to. I have certainly found the east and west coast cities a hell of a lot less friendly than the towns here in the midwest.