I think it would an exaggeration to say that the fundamental attribution error
does not exist in other countries. That has not been that much non-western
research on the FAE. Based on my recollection of the research there was indeed
less emphasis on dispositional attributions compared with western samples. That
is not the same thing as saying that the FAE does not exist. It might be less
pronounced in other cultures. There are reasonable perceptual and informational
explanations of the FAE that do not involve culture.
The same is true for the bystander effect. I would guess that the tendency to
feel less responsibility for taking action as a function of number of other
bystanders (that is, experiencing a diffusion of responsibility) would happen in
any culture. In fact, you might even suspect that a culture with a lot of social
structure or hierarchy would experience a greater bystander effect (because if
the person with the greater social standing does not act noone else does). Also
it is worth remembering that people who are skilled in the emergency needed do
not show the bystander effect (e.g., a study of nurses did not show this). Thus,
the diffusion of responsibility is in part a result of uncertainly about what to
do - hardly a culturally unique explanation.
Michael Sylvester wrote:
> On Mon, 23 Apr 2001, Ann Calhoun-Sauls wrote:
>
> >
> > Do any of you have any information on bystander effect research conducted
> > outside of the U.S.? I've checked two Social Psychology texts that have a
> > cultural emphasis (Smith & Bond and Moghaddam) and two cultural psychology
> > texts (Cole and Triandis) without any luck.
> >
> > Or - do any of you know of any Kitty Genovese-like incidents that have
> > occurred in other countries?
>
> It may not exist in other cultures.The bystander effect may be
> unique in the U.S -a society influenced by individualism and a growing
> lack of connecting with other people and an ambivalence about values.
> The so called Fundamental attribution error can only be observed
> in a society like the U.S which places emphasis on dispositional
> attributions .
>
> Michael Sylvester,PhD
> Daytona Beach,Florida
