Entry #4: "In groups we shrink"

Some people believe that individuals are more likely to help in a dangerous situation verse those together in a group. Author Carol Tavris discusses the human natural reaction to a crisis in his book “In Groups We Shrink”. A number of experiments have been conducted that help conclude these claims in behavior. Based on my personal experience I have been in predicaments such as these and have witnessed how both groups tend to behave in different circumstances. Still I find myself curious to figure out why this maybe.  

In one behavioral experiment students were put in two separate rooms. Then began to fill the rooms with smoke, in the room where the student was alone they reacted quickly and ran out for help. The room with the group of students hesitated to call for help, and allowed the room to fill with smoke. I believe that the behavior of the student who was alone had to do with the fact that he was alone. Having no one else in the room with him with the slightest sign of danger his instincts kicked in and he knew he had to help himself. Where it seems as the group of students in the other room with smoke depended on the next person to take initiative.

As far as other situations such as helping someone else that might be in trouble. I believe depends on the person themselves and their moral ethics. For example a person calling for help after they have witnessed a hit and run. The individual might feel obligated to do if they are the only person in the area who might have seen what happened and that can help. However if the circumstances had been different and the incident occurred around a larger group of people. That same individual might not feel as obligated now to inject themselves in the situation now that they were not the only witness who was at the scene of the accident.
  I personally believe it has something to do with the morals of each individual. For example I was put in a similar situation my first year of high school. On my way to class there was some type of commotion going on in the hallway. When I got closer I can tell that the commotion was a crowd of students surrounding what appeared to be a fight. As I began to watch I could soon tell it wasn’t exactly that, it was a senior student bullying a new girl at school. I looked around and judging by the faces of some of the students in the crowd no one was in agreement with what was going on. although no one had done or said anything to try to prevent it. I then took it upon myself to intervene and defend the new girl. Being a freshman myself I kind of felt for her and knew it was the right thing to do. So even thought I was an individual in that same group of kids. I didn’t wait for the next person to react i went with my moral instincts and did what I felt was appropriate.
According to the behavioral experiments conducted by psychologists are calling these reactions “Diffusion of responsibility” or “Social loafing”. This goes to say when there is a group of individuals, each individual become lazier. They think less for themselves and depend more on the next person. So with the expectation that someone else Is already doing what needs to be done, nothing does.