Have you noticed that we’re often more prone to helping people when there is no one around? It’s quite counterintuitive, but the more people are gathered, the less inclined we are to spring into action and help.
The term bystander effect refers to the reduction in helping behaviour in the presence of other people. Predominantly it has been explained by situational influences on decision making.
“From Empathy to Apathy: The Bystander Effect Revisited” - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326758110_From_Empathy_to_Apathy_The_Bystander_Effect_Revisited diverges from this view.
Highlighting recent evidence on the neural mechanisms and dispositional factors that determine apathy in bystanders, they put forward a new theoretical perspective that integrates emotional, motivational, and dispositional aspects.
They conclude that our personal distress is enhanced when other bystanders are present, so fixed action patterns of avoidance and freezing tend to dominate. This article offers a fresh perspective that bystander apathy results from a reflexive emotional reaction dependent on the bystander’s personality.
A fascinating new blend of research dealing with this odd behaviour. Neuroscience is particularly interesting. It's interesting to see the role of the prefrontal cortex in dealing with the bystander effect.
The original hypothesis was perhaps a little too simple, but this integrative approach of personality disposition may add nuance to the explanation of the effect. Hopefully, then educating the public on psychological insights such as this can reduce the tendency not to intervene.
Thanks for sharing