Talk about the Bystander Effect discussion in class and what you took out of it. Include the discussions your group had regarding this matter.
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When asking for the definition of the Bystander Effect in class, it seemed like we were only able to come up with it after different people pieced it together; no one person had the complete definition, which was a little frightening. The Bystander Effect is quite dangerous and needs to be fully understood. We discussed this in my psychology class and I think that perhaps the most treacherous aspect of the effect is the diffusion of responsibility; if a person thinks that others are around and someone else will take action, then it is easier to place blame on someone else as well. Anyone could make the excuse that there were other people around to help so they did not feel like it was necessary for them to step in. By becoming aware of the Bystander Effect, I hope to never be influenced by it in crucial situations.
ReplyDeleteOur group talked about this as well as the video of the guy on the metro that stepped in between the two people that were having a fight. We thought it was funny and liked the fact that he had encouraged the other woman to take action as well. We liked that he was not affected by the Bystander Effect, was brave enough to do something, and that he was taking action without being directly confrontational.
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ReplyDeleteThe bystander effect is when there is a person who is simply watching something bad going on and they do not intervene. One example that was mentioned during class was with Kitty Genovese and how she was raped and murdered and there were over 30 witnesses in New York City who did not do anything about this happening. When there is a group of people a lot of times people assume that someone else will take care of it, action needs to be taken. In another setting like in school the bystander effect is very prevalent with bullying. A lot of times people are talked down to and in a group setting nobody wants to step forward and take the chance to be the first person to stand up. Standing up to people opens you up as a target and it is, in a way, a burden.
ReplyDeleteThe mentality of the bystander effect is one thing that we need to be conscious of so that as individuals we can stand up when we see it necessary. There will be instances in the future when it might be uncomfortable to say something, but it might be the right thing to do. The video that we watched, “What Would You Do?” was an eye-opener. The things that were being done to someone were awful and a lot of times people just watched it happen. This class makes me want to stand up against bullying, prejudice, and make a difference in my community. Showing support can really do a lot and there sometimes is an effect where more people back you up, it is just making that first step.
The bystander effect occurs when a large group of people witness an event and nobody jumps in to influence the outcome. Generally, everyone thinks someone else will do it and absolve them of the responsibility, but that does not always happen. Also, fear may factor into a person’s decision not to act. It baffled me to learn that a woman had been raped and brutally murdered on the streets of New York and nobody did anything to help. Then I began to think about the risk that one person would have taken by jumping in and getting involved. However, maybe that one person could have encouraged other people to join in.
ReplyDeleteI have several friends that refuse to vote because they don’t believe that their singular voice can make a difference. But, if all the people in America that take that particular stance could make it to the voting booths, they could probably make a huge impact. No single person can change the world, but a movement certainly can.
When we broke off into groups to discuss how the bystander effect influenced our efforts, I realized that climate change could be the largest global example. With a culture so centered on unsustainable production, most people don’t quite know how to make environmentally-conscious decisions. I agree that the systems and profit mentality of certain companies need to change, but that certainly does not absolve the consumer of any responsibility. How can farming techniques realistically change if people keep buying Tyson products and making them money? To honestly make an impact on climate change, which scientists still say we can avoid the worst of, we have to make it profitable. In order to make it profitable, we have to start a movement, and that begins with a single customer supporting the right companies.
Bystander effect occurs when one fails to offer any help to a person in need because there are other people present. He or she may think someone else will step up and/or ‘why does it have to be me?’. It was the first time that I had actually thought about bystander effect and its implications.
ReplyDeleteBystander effect is actually really relevant to our group’s cause, environmentalism. Someone may think that he or she does not have to be the one to care for the environment since that responsibility is shared among the entire population. One may think someone else will do it if there is such a dire need and that there are environmental groups already doing the job. Someone also might think that his or her individual contribution will not matter so much. Particularly, in a shared public space like Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, one may see litter and not pick it up because anyone in the park can pick it up; the responsibility is shared among the entire public so the individual does not feel like he or she is required to pick up the trash. Thinking about the bystander effect in terms of the environment reminded me of the tragedy of the commons, which is an idea that individuals acting in self-interest end up working against the entire group’s well-being. I think bystander effect is a large part of the tragedy of the commons in environmentalism because individual laziness or lack of motivation to act as a “bystander” and not recognizing that the responsibility to care for the environment lies with each individual result in a bad environment for all.
Reflecting on this thought, I realized that bystander effect can be something as little as passing by litter in public spaces and not picking it up and throwing it away. When individuals in the the general public, who has the responsibility to care for the environment, claim the role of the bystander and wait for others to take up the responsibility of the world, everyone will end up suffering. Bystander effect is something detrimental to the environment.
When we were asked to define the Bystander Effect, I think we were all thinking about how someone would not step in to help someone else in a certain situation. For example, the video about a blind man purchasing baked goods from a bakery store. The employee gave him the wrong change. When a blind woman was given the wrong change, people did step up and helped.
ReplyDeleteEven if women are usually viewed as a weak human being, all it took was just one person to step up against the employee and then the whole shop did. If no one took that first step, the woman would have left embarrassed making a big deal about her change. Maybe even more embarrassed since the employee kept asking her if she needed help or if she was supposed to have a helper with her.
In our group discussion, we came up with the theory of ‘monkey see, monkey do’. What we meant by this was if one person steps up to change the situation or to confront someone, likely others will follow. For our trip to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in D.C., we thought that if people can see what a group of volunteers can accomplish, maybe they can put forth the inspiration to something else.
It is easy to be the bystander effect, though. Like what Emma said in our group, she mentioned that she’s big on recycling herself but often times it is hard to convince other people to recycle. Many people get into that mindset that “oh I’m just one person, I don’t need to recycle” or the other mindset of “I have people who recycle for me.” Bringing this back to monkey see, monkey do theory, if someone sees someone recycling, maybe that person will start recycling themselves.
I would think people do need to step up more and join in when they know that something is off. Rae, my site leader, mentioned that people will step in if something or someone makes them uncomfortable. We’re human beings and we strive to be comfortable. Often times we try to fix things ourselves or we’d be left with a guilty conscious that we should’ve done something.
Although I had an exam during last week’s class and was unable to attend the discussion of the Bystander effect, I have learned about it in psychology previously. The Bystander effect, is a disturbing occurrence that takes place when a group of individuals view an event in which they should interfere, but don’t because they assume someone else already has or will. When I first learned about this phenomenon in class the first example the professor gave was the case of Kitty Genovese. In this case Kitty, was a young woman out in the streets where she was visibly stabbed, raped, and killed by her assailant. It was reported that 30 people witnessed this. I was absolutely shocked by this. I thought there is no way that I would stand on the side line and let some horrific event like that take place and not get involved in some way, shape or form. The bystander effect can take place in less sever cases but is still prevalent. Whether it be that someone drops their papers in the library and no one helps because they assume so many people are around to help them out, or see a piece of trash on the ground and don’t pick it up because the assumption of someone else will do it the bystander effect is present. It is good to be reminded of this so that it does not become a habit to participate in.
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