What significant finding was revealed through Darley and Latane's bystander effect studies?

The significant finding from Darley and Latane's studies on the bystander effect is that the presence of others decreases the likelihood of helping behavior. This phenomenon occurs due to a diffusion of responsibility, where individuals in a group assume that someone else will take action, thus reducing their own sense of personal responsibility. As the number of bystanders increases, individuals may feel less compelled to intervene in emergencies, believing that others are equally capable of providing assistance. This psychological tendency highlights the irony that, rather than encouraging collective support, larger groups can actually lead to decreased motivation to help, as people look to one another for cues on how to behave.

In contrast, other options mistakenly suggest that more bystanders lead to increased helping behavior or that group settings enhance individual responsibility. However, the core takeaway from the bystander effect studies is that when faced with an emergency in a group setting, individuals are often less likely to help due to the shared responsibility felt among group members.