Which inhibitor is tied to the belief that nothing good will happen if they speak up?

• A. Pluralistic Ignorance
• B. Cost or fear of helping
• C. Ambiguity with the need for help
• D. Devaluation of the victim

Answer: (B)

Inhibitors to helping include barriers that make a person hesitate to intervene. When someone believes that speaking up will lead to negative outcomes, they’re driven by fear of costs or retribution for helping. This includes concerns about personal safety, embarrassment, blame, or social backlash. Those anticipated risks make them reluctant to act, even if they recognize something is wrong. The other ideas describe different barriers—misreading the situation as not needing help (pluralistic ignorance), uncertainty about whether help is needed (ambiguity), or justifying inaction by devaluing the victim—so they don’t capture the sense of costs or fear tied to speaking up.