The bystander effect and what really happened to Kitty Genovese
The bystander effect is the finding that people are less likely to help when others are present. The famous Genovese story of 38 passive witnesses is not supported by the evidence.
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The short answer
The bystander effect is the finding that a person is less likely to help someone in need when other people are present. It was studied in laboratory experiments after the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese in New York. The popular version of that case, in which 38 neighbors watched and did nothing, has been shown to be largely inaccurate, even though the laboratory research has held up. [1] [2]
What the experiments found
John Darley and Bibb Latané suspected that people fail to respond in groups because of a diffusion of responsibility: everyone assumes someone else will step in, and may conclude that the situation is not so serious. In one set of experiments, a participant sat with a confederate who ignored a staged emergency. According to Steven Pinker's summary, 80 percent of those participants did nothing, compared with 30 percent of people who were alone. [behavioralscientist.org](https://behavioralscientist.org/the-volunteers-dilemma/) [3]
In a 1968 seizure experiment, participants who believed they alone could hear a person in distress left to help 85 percent of the time. With one other possible listener the figure was 62 percent, and with four others it was 31 percent. [blog.oup.com](https://blog.oup.com/2014/03/kitty-genovese-bystander-effect/) [4]
What happened to Kitty Genovese
No one doubts that Genovese, 28, was stabbed to death in Kew Gardens, Queens, in the early hours of March 13, 1964. The first newspaper reports did not mention witnesses. About two weeks later, a front-page New York Times story said thirty-eight respectable, law-abiding citizens had watched a killer attack her for more than half an hour and that no one telephoned the police. [apa.org](https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2012/09/tall-tales) [2]
Later research and trial records tell a different story. Assistant District Attorney Charles Skoller is quoted as saying only about half a dozen witnesses saw what was going on and could be used. None of the trial witnesses reported seeing the stabbing itself. A shout from a window made the attacker, Winston Moseley, abandon his first attack, and the fatal attack happened inside a building out of sight. Some witnesses thought they were seeing a quarrel. [bps.org.uk](https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/truth-behind-story-kitty-genovese-and-bystander-effect) [5]
Reports say that at least one person called the police (Pinker says two did), and a neighbor went to Genovese and held her until an ambulance arrived. The unified 911 system did not exist until 1968. [thecut.com](https://www.thecut.com/2016/04/how-the-false-story-of-kitty-genovese-s-murder-went-viral.html) [3] [2] [6]
Where experts disagree
A 2007 American Psychologist article found no evidence for 38 witnesses, for witnesses observing the murder, or for witnesses remaining inactive. It argued the story became a parable in psychology textbooks that limited inquiry into when people do help. Its co-author Levine defends this view and notes that journalists have made the same points. [pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17874896/) [1] [2]
Latané, whose research was inspired by the case, disputes parts of this. He says trial witnesses may have revised their memories to look more caring, and he criticizes psychologists for judging historical and newspaper material outside their expertise. [apa.org](https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2012/09/tall-tales) [2]
The laboratory effect itself has largely survived. A 2010 meta-analysis found groups are somewhat slower to help, but the difference tends to disappear when an emergency is clearly real or when physical intervention is needed. [2]
Timeline
- March 13, 1964Kitty Genovese is stabbed to death in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York
- About two weeks laterA front-page New York Times story reports 38 witnesses who watched the attack
- 1968In a seizure experiment, helping drops as more possible listeners are present
- 1968The unified 911 system is established
- 2007An American Psychologist article finds no evidence for 38 witnesses
- 2010A meta-analysis finds groups are somewhat slower to help in emergencies
Drawn from the dates given in this thread.
Where this is
Kew Gardens, Queens, New York, USA. Where Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death in March 1964. Open in Google Maps. Map tiles © Esri and its data providers. Location chosen automatically; not checked by a person.
Sources
- The Kitty Genovese murder and the social psychology of helping: the parable of the 38 witnesses (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) Found by source search. Not checked by a person.
- Psychology's tall tales (apa.org) Found by source search. Not checked by a person.
- The Volunteer’s Dilemma - by Steven Pinker - Behavioral Scientist (behavioralscientist.org) Found by source search. Not checked by a person.
- Kitty Genovese and the bystander effect: 50 years on | OUPblog (blog.oup.com) Found by source search. Not checked by a person.
- The truth behind the story of Kitty Genovese and the bystander effect | BPS (bps.org.uk) Found by source search. Not checked by a person.
- How the False Genovese Murder Story Went Viral -- Science of Us (thecut.com) Found by source search. Not checked by a person.
Questions to follow next
- Why did The New York Times report 38 witnesses?
- What is diffusion of responsibility, and how does the Volunteer's Dilemma explain it?
- When are bystanders most likely to step in and help?