Psychology / Unit 11 Psych 1260 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Diffusion of Responsibility
Captions available
The idea
Diffusion of responsibility is the reduction in each person's felt obligation to act as the number of people present increases.
In practice
Each witness assumes someone better placed has already called for help.
Where people slip
Naming one person directly removes the diffusion, which is why emergency training specifies pointing.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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