Ha, I did a lot of maybes in that post. Prisoner example: (note, since you later mentioned hostages, I'm equating prisoner with criminal) I think someone would probably go forward, if only because, I bet some of the stronger prisoners would make the weakest one "volunteer". I also think the kind of prisoners might make a difference in whether or not someone volunteered. If they were all in there for white collar-type crimes like tax evasion or drinking and driving, than I think there would be fewer people volunteering, since they'd probably be more self centred. If the prisoners were all part of a gang, I could see one of the lower members seeing this as a risky opportunity to rise through the ranks, or get a reputation, or else, a loyal member stepping in to save his brothers. If it were rapists, murders or serial killers, then there might be someone crazy enough to not care if they live or die, or there might be someone sane enough to feel remorse.
The more people you have, the more chances there are that there's someone in the group either wanting to die, or willing to die for someone else, so I definitely think that if it were a bigger group, someone would volunteer.
In a hostage situation, I could definitely see someone volunteer. I think then people are more willing to play the hero in that kind of situation. I know that if I were ever in that kind of situation, I'd seriously think about it (although, I'm kind of a coward, so I can't promise I'd go through with it).
In the car situation, I definitely think someone would step forward. I bet there would be an awkward silence before hand, where everyone waits to see if someone else will step forward first. I'd be one of those people waiting to see, but if it looked like no one else was jumping up, I certainly would.
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Prisoner example: (note, since you later mentioned hostages, I'm equating prisoner with criminal) I think someone would probably go forward, if only because, I bet some of the stronger prisoners would make the weakest one "volunteer".
I also think the kind of prisoners might make a difference in whether or not someone volunteered. If they were all in there for white collar-type crimes like tax evasion or drinking and driving, than I think there would be fewer people volunteering, since they'd probably be more self centred. If the prisoners were all part of a gang, I could see one of the lower members seeing this as a risky opportunity to rise through the ranks, or get a reputation, or else, a loyal member stepping in to save his brothers. If it were rapists, murders or serial killers, then there might be someone crazy enough to not care if they live or die, or there might be someone sane enough to feel remorse.
The more people you have, the more chances there are that there's someone in the group either wanting to die, or willing to die for someone else, so I definitely think that if it were a bigger group, someone would volunteer.
In a hostage situation, I could definitely see someone volunteer. I think then people are more willing to play the hero in that kind of situation. I know that if I were ever in that kind of situation, I'd seriously think about it (although, I'm kind of a coward, so I can't promise I'd go through with it).
In the car situation, I definitely think someone would step forward. I bet there would be an awkward silence before hand, where everyone waits to see if someone else will step forward first. I'd be one of those people waiting to see, but if it looked like no one else was jumping up, I certainly would.