Diffusion of Responsibility is a socio-psychological phenomenon that explains that people tend to ignore what they are supposed to do when they discover that there are lots of people that can do the same thing and act like it's isn't their responsibility.
Example; An emergency is brought to the hospital,a patient with a case of road traffic accident,the doctor saw the patient and ignored her feeling that the Nurse,psysiotherapist and other health care professionals around will or can attend to the accident victim thereby ignoring his responsibility.
According to Bibb Latane and John Darley's theory of bystander effect the greater the number of bystanders or witnesses to an event that calls for helping behavior, the more the responsibility for helping is perceived to be shared by all the bystanders.
Explanation:
Social psychologists Bibb Latané and John Darley postulated the concept of the bystander effect the infamous murder of Kitty Genovese in New York City in 1964. The woman was stabbed to death outside her apartment, while neighbors watched and failed to step in to assist her or call the police.
