What is the psychology behind the bystander effect?

About this episode

This episode explores the psychology behind the bystander effect and its implications in emergency situations.

You’ve probably already walked by a stranger spreadeagled on the ground. Chances are that if you saw several people already offering assistance, you carried on walking by. That’s due to what is known as the bystander effect. The bystander effect is a psychosocial phenomenon which typically crops up in emergency situations. It shows that the more other people are already intervening to help, the less likely we are to do so ourselves. On the other hand, the likelihood of stepping in increases when you’re the only person present. How does psychology explain this phenomenon? What are some well-known examples? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the latest episodes, click here: ⁠⁠Why do some people believe in ghosts?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠What is the placebo effect and how does it work?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Could chronoworking make you work more efficiently?⁠⁠ A Bababam Originals podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. First broadcast: 16/10/2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Joseph Chance

Topics covered

• bystander effect
• psychology
• emergency situations
• social behavior
• intervention

Keywords

• bystander effect
• psychosocial phenomenon
• emergency
• intervention
• social psychology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bababam

More episodes of Do you really know?

• Is feeding birds in your garden a bad idea? · June 12, 2026 · 5 min
• Is it still worth doing your washing during off-peak hours these days? · June 12, 2026 · 5 min
• Is binge drinking over in the UK? · June 12, 2026 · 5 min
• What is an inclusive Barbie? · June 11, 2026 · 4 min
• What are the warning signs of depression? · June 11, 2026 · 5 min
• Why is the manosphere going crazy for pilates girls? · June 10, 2026 · 5 min