In my last column, I shared my aspiration that we as psychologists begin to see ourselves as learning leaders—influential individuals who create change rather than watch it happen. That prompts the question: What’s the alternative?
One answer comes from social psychology: the bystander effect. First described by John Darley and Bibb Latanéopens in new window in 1968, the phenomenon refers to people’s failure to act in emergency situations when they’re part of a group—the belief that “someone else will do it,” leading to a diffusion of responsibility.
That same concept, I believe, applies to our field and the way we respond to critical social problems, such as gun violence and climate change, or to issues more specific to our profession and discipline, such as access to quality mental health care. Given that APA’s membership encompasses more than 121,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students, it’s easy to assume there are more than enough leaders and advocates tackling these concerns. But it’s clear that there are not—that we need many more psychologists/learning leaders informing crucial debates about our future with our science, evidence, education and voices.
If you are working on these issues in your community or elsewhere, I applaud you. If you’ve been an observer until now, I encourage you to move from bystander to learning leader. There are many ways to do this, including by leading community discussions, sending messages to relevant members of Congress and others, doing pro bono clinical work, asking more daring research questions and more.
Topping the list of helping to create a better future for the public and psychology is advocacy. APA is working on dozens of challenges that are critical to the health and well-being of our population, such as reducing suicide rates, improving veteran mental health care and protecting victims of sexual misconduct. These projects are described in detail on the APA Federal Action Network website. Check it out and sign up to get involved.
It’s not always easy to leave the comfort zones of our offices, research labs or other employment settings. But moving from bystander to learning leader is empowering and energizing. It also means everything for our future—not just for psychology, but for the world.