Editing Ambiguity (section)

== Social psychology and the bystander effect ==
In [[social psychology]], ambiguity is a factor used in determining peoples' responses to various situations. High levels of ambiguity in an emergency (e.g. an unconscious man lying on a park bench) make witnesses less likely to offer any sort of assistance, due to the fear that they may have misinterpreted the situation and acted unnecessarily. Alternately, non-ambiguous emergencies (e.g. an injured person verbally asking for help) elicit more consistent intervention and assistance. With regard to the [[bystander effect]], studies have shown that emergencies deemed ambiguous trigger the appearance of the classic bystander effect (wherein more witnesses decrease the likelihood of any of them helping) far more than non-ambiguous emergencies.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=The Bystander Effect as a Function of Ambiguity and Emergency Character |journal=The Journal of Social Psychology |volume=100 |pages=145–146 |doi=10.1080/00224545.1976.9711917 |year=1976 |last1=Mason |first1=David |last2=Allen |first2=Bem P. }}</ref>