Bystander Affect.

Essay by Trevyn_Fletcher@hotmaCollege, Undergraduate February 2010

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A psychological phenomenon of interest is “bystander effect.” This is a social psychological phenomenon which claims certain individuals may be less likely to offer assistance during an emergency when other people are around. Wikipedia describes this by stating that “the probability of help is inversely proportional to the number of bystanders.” (Bystander) In other words, the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help. This is stating, for example, if there is a victim that is stabbed and robbed within a crowd some of the people in the crowd may just stare and do nothing to offer the victim assistance. “According to a basic principle of social influence, bystanders monitor the reactions of other people in an emergency situation to see if others think that it is necessary to intervene.” (Bystander)The neuroscience perspective would look at the bystander effect and question these purposed people’s ability to act in this way; it would do this by examining this from a biological demeanor.

A few questions that could arise from viewing this at a neuroscience perspective are this. Perhaps these people are influenced from a biological functioning? Are these behaviors naturally inherited? Or perhaps they are subconsciously motivated behavior. The major factors that would be considered important when viewing this from the neuroscience perspective is trying to distinguish whether or not these characteristics where inherited from parents or ancestors which has influence on the behavior. Was this reaction instinctual?The psychodynamic perspective would look at the bystander effect and investigate whether or not this behavior is motivated by inner forces to which the bystanders had little control. Determinism is largely relevant with this perspective, which says the bystanders stood and did nothing because of something beyond their control which could...