diffusion of responsibility

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "diffusion of responsibility" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in discussions about social psychology, particularly in contexts involving group dynamics and decision-making. Example: "In emergency situations, the diffusion of responsibility can lead to bystander apathy, as individuals assume someone else will take action."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

50 human-written examples

Post-crisis health threat surveillance systems did not link to appropriate action plans for detected threats, leading to diffusion of responsibility across response organizations and fragile state governments.

Conflict and Health

Table 1 indicates that less than 30% of respondents were very satisfied with these institutional responses to wrongdoing; open-ended responses from respondents indicating that they were less than "very satisfied" consistently described reasons for dissatisfaction such as consistency/cooperation issues, diffusion of responsibility, inadequacy of responses, and unclear policies.

Clinical and Translational Science

Most past events had a thousand sources and causes -- a vague diffusion of responsibility that made no one responsible.

The New York Times

Another reason, though, is something called the diffusion of responsibility.

The New York Times

On a team there is a diffusion of responsibility, as social physiologists would say, compared with the performance of an individual athlete".

The Guardian

Psychologists call this "diffusion of responsibility" and one consequence is that no one thinks it's his or her job to fix it the next time.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

10 human-written examples

Such diffusion of responsibilities makes some investors almost blasé about Ralph Lauren with no Ralph.

The New York Times - Style

In spite of the progress of the insulin therapy, its metabolic outcome is limited by family conflicts, family dysfunction and parenting problems, e. g. diffusion of responsibilities [ 3, 15- 18].

BMC Pediatrics

Research has shown that the presence of others can cause diffusion of the responsibility to help.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Diffusion of the responsibility is reduced, however, when a bystander believes that others are not in a position to help.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Diffusion of the responsibility to help is increased when others who are viewed as more capable of helping (e.g., a doctor or police officer) are present.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing group dynamics, use "diffusion of responsibility" to explain why individuals may be less likely to act in emergencies or take ownership of tasks.

Common error

Avoid using "diffusion of responsibility" interchangeably with related terms like "bystander effect" or "social loafing". While related, "diffusion of responsibility" specifically refers to the reduction in individual accountability due to the presence of others.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "diffusion of responsibility" functions as a noun phrase that identifies a specific psychological phenomenon. As Ludwig AI confirms, this term is widely recognized and accepted in the English language for discussing group dynamics. It typically serves as the subject or object of a sentence to explain patterns of behavior.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

30%

Encyclopedias

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "diffusion of responsibility" is a well-established and frequently used term, as noted by Ludwig AI, to describe a social phenomenon where individuals are less likely to take action when in a group. It functions as a noun phrase and is primarily used to explain group behaviors in academic, scientific, and news contexts. Related concepts include "bystander apathy" and "collective inaction". To effectively use this phrase, understand that it is most applicable when analyzing dynamics where individual accountability is reduced due to the presence of others. A common error is to confuse it with closely related concepts, although that is not recommended.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

bystander apathy

This term describes the lack of intervention in emergencies due to the presence of others.

collective inaction

This highlights the group's failure to act when individual responsibility is unclear.

shared accountability

This focuses on the distribution of responsibility across a group.

dilution of responsibility

This emphasizes the weakening of individual accountability in a group setting.

groupthink paralysis

This describes how a group can become unable to act due to shared decision-making challenges.

social loafing

This refers to the tendency to exert less effort when working in a group.

lack of ownership

This underlines the absence of personal responsibility for a task or situation.

abdication of duty

This term means the act of neglecting or refusing to accept a responsibility.

erosion of accountability

This highlights a situation where accountability gradually disappears.

transfer of burden

Describes how individual liability can be moved to a larger unit or system.

FAQs

What does the term "diffusion of responsibility" mean?

The term "diffusion of responsibility" refers to the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to take action in a situation when others are present, as they assume someone else will take responsibility.

How does "diffusion of responsibility" relate to the bystander effect?

"Diffusion of responsibility" is a key factor contributing to the bystander effect, where the presence of multiple bystanders reduces the likelihood of any single individual offering help in an emergency. "Bystander apathy" is a consequence of this diffusion.

What are some real-world examples of "diffusion of responsibility"?

Examples include people not intervening in public emergencies because they assume someone else will help, or team members not taking ownership of a task because they believe others will handle it.

How can "diffusion of responsibility" be prevented?

Assigning specific roles or responsibilities to individuals within a group can help prevent "diffusion of responsibility" by making it clear who is accountable for what. Encouraging personal responsibility and awareness of the phenomenon can also be effective.