diffusion of responsibility

the diminished sense of responsibility often experienced by individuals in groups and social collectives. The diffusion has been proposed as a possible mediator of a number of group-level phenomena, including the bystander effect, choice shifts, deindividuation, social loafing, and reactions to social dilemmas. See also confusion of responsibility. [first described in 1970 by U.S. social psychologists John M. Darley (1938– ) and Bibb Latané (1937– )]

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Psychology term of the day

May 8th 2024

peptide

n. a short chain of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Peptides are usually identified by the number of amino acids in the chain. For example, dipeptides have two amino acids, tripeptides three, tetrapeptides four, and so on. See also polypeptide; protein.