Response to Myra
Name:
Institutional Affiliation:
Response to Myra
Hi Myra. I like the arguments which you have provided in regards to the bystander effect. As for the example which you have provided concerning the case of Princess Diana, there is more than the witnesses to the accident needed to do. It would be essential for them to show that they cared about humanity. Another example of bystander effect is the famous vulture and the little boy photo by photographer Kevin Carter (Langmann & Pick, 2018). The photo showed a naked famine-stricken boy crouching while a vulture is behind him. Anyone looking at the image would feel that the photographer needed to do more for the boy. Taking the photo and leaving him for dead showed an apparent contravention of ethics, especially in terms of what humanity needs to stand for. Human beings must have significant levels of care, especially in light of the problems which others experience at a particular time.
The article by Thomas et al. (2016) is highly essential in helping to showcase the idea of the bystander effect. For instance, it is shown that where a single person happens to witness a particular incident, there is a high chance that he might assist. However, the interest to support diminishes as people become many. Each witness expects that others would be out to help. The article by Levine, Philpot, and Kovalenko (2019) also shows that prosocial bystanders are willing to assist. It is highly possible that they will be interested in being of help to others. It is through the process that they will manage to be of value to those who are in high need of them. These two resources are important in helping to understand the bystander effect.
References
Langmann, S., & Pick, D. (2018). Ethical Considerations in Photography as a Research Method. In Photography as a Social Research Method (pp. 57-83). Springer, Singapore.
Levine, M., Philpot, R., & Kovalenko, A. G. (2019). Rethinking the Bystander Effect in Violence Reduction Training Programs. Social Issues and Policy Review. https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/sipr.12063
Thomas, K. A., De Freitas, J., DeScioli, P., & Pinker, S. (2016). Recursive mentalizing and common knowledge in the bystander effect. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 145(5), 621. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000153