Which of the Following Explanations for the Failure of Neighbours

question 109

Multiple Choice

Which of the following explanations for the failure of neighbours to come to Kitty Genovese's aid best reflects the idea of diffusion of responsibility?

• A) The cost of intervening was too high, so neighbours didn't help.
• B) There were so many witnesses that no single person felt responsible to intervene.
• C) The neighbours did not personally know Kitty Genovese.
• D) Urban dwellers are especially callous when it comes to giving aid.
• E) The neighbours did not interpret her cries as an emergency, so they didn't intervene.

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Definitions:

Bias

A tendency to lean in a certain direction, often to the detriment of an open-minded assessment, stemming from personal judgement, experience, or preference.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.

Availability Heuristic

A cognitive shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to a person’s mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method, or decision.

Base Rate Fallacy

The tendency to ignore or underestimate statistical generalizations or probabilities in the evaluation of risks or likelihoods, often focusing on specific examples or narratives instead.