A case study on correlation between assertiveness and bystander effect

Abstract

Bystander effect is a phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when others are present. Although people may experience genuine concern in emergency situations, they might not always decide to help. This effect is often associated with the effect of groupthink or the herd mentality whereas assertiveness is associated with characteristics such as critical thinking, being self-assured and confident and taking initiative in social situations. The current study is the pilot research work based on case study and survey method. It studies the relationship between bystander effect and assertiveness in the age group of 18-25 years in Mumbai city. The survey was conducted with the help of tests and questionnaire. Out of 200 collected samples, 136 samples showed correlation between bystander effect and assertiveness. It was observed that individuals with high level of assertiveness showed less bystander effect. In several case studies, the relation between the bystander effect and assertiveness were observed. This survey was conducted to support these case studies and provide sufficient evidence to correlate the bystander effect and assertiveness of an individual.