A blind woman needs help crossing a busy street in a crowded plaza, but the passers-by all think someone else will help her. Mis
ha decides not to intervene in a bar fight between two large men for fear of getting hurt. Sitting in his car in traffic, Jasper sees two people fighting on a bridge, but no one can see him, so he does not feel the need to help. Shelby sees a man lying on the sidewalk in a big city, but she doesn’t help because ________.
she does not know if the man is just sleeping, drunk or injured.
Explanation:
These sentences show different socio-psycological phenomenons.
The first sentence shows the diffusion of responsibility. Each person is less likely to take the responsibility of helping the woman in presence of other people.
The second sentence shows weighing the risks and benefits of helping. Misha thinks that she is more likely to get hurt her if she stops the two large men from fighting.
The third sentence demonstrates anonymity. Jasper thinks that the two people do not know his presence, therefore its not his responsibility to help them.
Fourth sentence describes the fear of making social blunder. Shelby is scared of making a social mistake as she might not understand the actual reason why the man is lying on the sidewalk.
