Jeff, Greg, Dan, and Ray all watched as the building across the street burned to the ground. They kept waiting for the fire trucks to show up, even though none of them had called 911. In this case, the fact that none of the four friends phoned to report the fire illustrates the phenomenon known as
A)social loafing.
B)a self-fulfilling prophecy.
C)group polarization.
D)the bystander effect.

Question

Jeff, Greg, Dan, and Ray all watched as the building across the street burned to the ground. They kept waiting for the fire trucks to show up, even though none of them had called 911. In this case, the fact that none of the four friends phoned to report the fire illustrates the phenomenon known as ​
A)social loafing.
B)a self-fulfilling prophecy.
C)group polarization.
D)the bystander effect.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The bystander effect describes a situation where individuals do not offer help to a victim when other people are present, often due to the assumption that someone else will take action. In this scenario, each friend likely assumed one of the others would call 911, leading to inaction from all.

Jeff, Greg, Dan, and Ray All Watched as the Building