Lecture 6: Witnessing online aggression Flashcards
What are bystanders?
Focus on individuals that are confronted with acts of online aggression,
taking place between others
Why is it so important to focus on bystanders of online aggression?
- Group process
- Think about Theory of planned behavior & underlying beliefs
- Bystander are also important for the continuation of the behavior of the perpetrator
- And important for the impact for victims
What are three potential reactions/behaviors of bystanders witnessing online aggression?
- Helping
- Joining in
- doing nothing
What is a worrying behavior of bystanders witnessing online aggression?
Most bystanders do nothing
Why do most bystander nothing when witnessing online aggression?
Explained/influenced by:
1. personal characteristics
2. socio-psychological mechanisms
3. contextual factors
What was the focus of the study? - Study: Personal Characteristics and Contextual Factors ThatDetermine“Helping,”“Joining In,”and“Doing Nothing”When Witnessing Cyberbullying (Van Cleemput et al, 2014)
Personal characteristics as predictors of joining in, helping and doing nothing:
- Empathy
- Social anxiety
- Involvement in cyberbullying and traditional bullying as perpetrator or victim
What is the definition of ‘empathy’?
“a fundamental social skill which allows the individual to anticipate,
understand, and experience the point of view of the other people”
What are the three aspect of ‘empathy’? (Olweus & Endresen, 2001)
- Perspective taking
- Empathic concern
- Empathic distress
Which empathic aspect is most related to bystander behavior?
Empathic concern
What is the definition of ‘perspective taking’? (empathy aspect)
Perspective taking refers to the cognitive ability to understand or adopt the viewpoint or feelings of another person.
What is the definition of ‘empathic concern’? (empathy aspect)
Empathic concern is an emotional response characterized by feelings of warmth, compassion, and concern for another person’s well-being.
What is the definition of ‘empathic distress’? (empathy aspect)
Empathic distress involves experiencing personal discomfort or distress in response to another person’s suffering or negative emotions
What is the definition of ‘social anxiety’?
“the fear that one will make a mistake and be criticized (Miller et al. 1972)”
What are the three aspects of ‘social anxiety’? (La Greca & Lopez, 1998)
- Fear of negative evaluation
- Social avoidance and distress
- Social avoidance specific to new situations or new people
What is the relationship between social anxiety and self-efficacy in the context of bystander behavior?
Inverse relationship (means that as one of these factors increases, the other tends to decrease, and vice versa)
What is the definition of ‘self-efficacy’?
One’s belief in one’s ability to succeed in executing a certain task, behavior, … .
What are the socio-cognitive processes in bystander behavior?
- bystander effect
- Moral disengagement
What is the ‘bystander effect’?
a social phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help or intervene in an emergency situation when there are other people present.
Which factors contribute to the bystander effect?
- diffusion of responsibility
- Evaluation apprehension
- Pluralistic ignorance