The Witness Effect in Society and Pedagogy

This article examines the problem of the witness effect in society and in the educational process. As part of the identification of the causes and psychological aspects of this phenomenon, a survey was conducted among 4th-year students of Saint-Petersburg university of State fire service of EMERCOM of Russia. The witness effect significantly affects the educational process, reducing engagement, provoking knowledge gaps and increasing stress. Special attention is paid to the need to take into account socio-psychological factors in the work of teachers in educational institutions in order to increase the effectiveness of learning and minimize negative consequences. Overcoming social barriers occurs through the normalization of issues, the distribution of responsibility and the support of initiative, strengthening cognitive abilities and increasing the overall effectiveness of learning, relegating to the background phenomena that manifest themselves as group pressure and diffusion of responsibility shape the behavior of students.