Which of the following describes the reluctance of individuals to intervene in emergencies due to the presence of others?

The phenomenon of individuals being reluctant to intervene in emergencies due to the presence of others is best described by the concept of diffusion of responsibility. This psychological principle suggests that as the number of bystanders increases, individuals feel less personal responsibility to take action. Each person may assume that someone else will intervene or that their own involvement is not necessary. This decrease in the perceived obligation to help can lead to situations where no one intervenes at all, despite the emergency.

While audience inhibition relates to the fear of negative evaluation by others and social influence concerns how individuals are affected by the behaviors and opinions of others, neither directly encapsulates the specific mechanism of shared responsibility that characterizes diffusion of responsibility. The cost-benefit analysis model involves weighing the potential costs and benefits of taking action, which does not specifically address the impact of others' presence in a direct manner as diffusion of responsibility does.