When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
We all know that people tend to behave better when they know they're being watched. I mean, I certainly do.
But it turns out that even the illusion of being watched can do the trick. From the Scientific American:
A group of scientists at Newcastle University, headed by Melissa Bateson and Daniel Nettle of the Center for Behavior and Evolution, conducted a field experiment demonstrating that merely hanging up posters of staring human eyes is enough to significantly change people’s behavior. Over the course of 32 days, the scientists spent many hours recording customer’s “littering behavior” in their university’s main cafeteria, counting the number of people that cleaned up after themselves after they had finished their meals. In their study, the researchers determined the effect of the eyes on individual behavior by controlling for several conditions (e.g. posters with a corresponding verbal text, without any text, male versus female faces, posters of something unrelated like flowers, etc). The posters were hung at eye-level and every day the location of each poster was randomly determined. The researchers found that during periods when the posters of eyes, instead of flowers, overlooked the diners, twice as many people cleaned up after themselves.
We're not a sophisticated species, apparently. May I be the first to campaign for giant posters of watching eyes to be plastered every five feet or so in every federal, state, county, and municipal government office building.
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May '11
Re: When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
Calling George Orwell . . .
Re: When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
The most well-behaved civilizations in the galaxy will be found on a planet orbiting a binary star system.
Jun '10
Re: When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
There was a well known study done to see if lighting levels would positively or negatively affect production in a factory (or office....if my field was sociology or psychology I would have remembered the study by name...perhaps someone else on Ricochet can cite it specifically).
What the researchers discovered was that no matter what level the overhead lighting was set at, the workers in the plant were very productive. Of course, the researchers discovered that the workers knew they were being monitored and as a result kept up their production level at a good clip no matter what level the lights were set at.
Re: Affixing eyes to walls of government offices suggest we also have some affixed to Barack Obama's golf cart, golf bag and golf balls.
Edited on Jun 8, 2011 at 10:16pmSep '10
Re: When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
That was the GE Hawthorne experiment Brian.
Jun '10
Re: When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
Thanks. I'm glad I wasn't hallucinating.
Edited on Jun 8, 2011 at 10:31pmAug '10
Re: When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
Brian Watt:
What the researchers discovered was that no matter what level the overhead lighting was set at, the workers in the plant were very productive. Of course, the researchers discovered that the workers knew they were being monitored and as a result kept up their production level at a good clip no matter what level the lights were set at.
If I remember correctly from when I read this way back in grad school, Mayo's interpretation wasn't that the workers were afraid to goof off while being watched but that they liked the attention of having researchers ask them lots of questions. If memory serves, he actually suggested that factories hire psychologists or social workers to constantly ask workers lots of questions. Now that I think back on it though, I think the "don't goof off because they're watching" interpretation is a bit more parsimonious than "taking surveys is good for morale."
Jun '10
Re: When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
I think I heard about a study once where they compared people in a public restroom and whether they washed their hands or not. Those being watched did, those not, more frequently didn't. I hope it was privately funded, at least.
Aug '10
Re: When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
One of the creepiest things I ever saw was a little sign above the sink in the mirror-clad ladies' restroom of a fancy bar. It said, "You're not the only one checking you out."
I think it was meant to signify that some of the mirrors lining the walls (and stalls) were two-way mirrors, though I'm still not sure what purpose they served. I guess I'd rather have the two-way mirror be for security purposes than for a free peep show in the men's room, but neither possibility puts me at ease.
Must a lady be watched everywhere?
May '10
Re: When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
That eyes-on-gov't suggestion is great, but of course it's precisely the opposite of what a nudger like Cass Sunstein would take from this study: We're the ones who could benefit from a little paranoia, not government, and he'd have no qualms about implementing such a regime.
Dec '10
Re: When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
Where can I get that poster? I've got a wall in my kids' room in mind. This is another argument for joining a religious community, Rob. We're among others with high standards of behavior and we're reminded that God is always watching.
Jun '10
Re: When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
This reminds me of a quote by Jean Baptiste de la Salle who started teaching order and a chain of Catholic schools: "We should remember always that we stand in the holy presence of God."
Mar '11
Re: When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
And F. Scott Fitzgerald . . .
Aug '10
Re: When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
However, God's eyes are not as googly as the ones in Rob's picture.
Speaking of googly eyes, is anyone besides me disturbed by those Geico commercials where there's this little wad of cash... watching you? What is that?
Especially when Geico could be using the Gecko instead, who's about the best corporate mascot ever.
Apr '11
Re: When We Think the World is Watching, We Behave
Basil Fawlty
And F. Scott Fitzgerald . . . · Jun 9 at 7:03am
Dr. T. J. Eckleburg!