Have you ever heard of the bystander effect?

It's when you're the only one around, you're more likely to spring into action if there's

some emergency.

But if there are lots of people around, nobody tends to do anything.

Like they're all expecting someone else will do it.

It's been a staple of behavioral psychology for a long time, but newer work might cast

some doubt on whether this truly does represent what real people do in the real world.

Will you take action next time you have a chance?

The bystander effect is today on Skeptoid.

You're listening to Skeptoid.

I'm Brian Dunning from Skeptoid.com, observing the bystander effect.

We've all heard about the bystander effect.

Supposedly, you can lay in the street, dying of grievous injuries, and people will walk

right past you.

Step over you, wheel their carts around you.

Not a single person runs to your assistance.

Why not?

Perhaps they all assume someone else will do it.

Perhaps they all assume that since nobody else is helping, you don't need help, so why bother?

In fact, the way we've all heard it, the more people there are around, the less likely

it is any of them will help you.

It's called the bystander effect, and it's long been considered one of those fundamentals

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