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