A lady in distress: Inhibiting effects of friends and strangers on bystander intervention

Abstract One hundred twenty male undergraduates waiting either alone, with a friend, or with a stranger, overheard a woman fall and cry out in pain. Two-person groups were less likely to offer help to the injured woman than were subjects who overheard the emergency while alone. Pairs of friends were less inhibited from intervening than were strangers and helped significantly faster. In this ambiguous situation, each bystander may look to others for guidance before acting, misinterpret their apparent lack of concern, and decide the situation is not serious. Friends seem less likely to misinterpret each other's initial inaction than strangers.