“Whenever you are to do a thing, though it can never be known but to yourself, ask yourself how you would act were all the world looking at you, and act accordingly.” from Thomas Jefferson’s letter to Peter Carr in 1785.

It’s almost as if Thomas Jefferson understood human nature when he was writing the above statement, because a recent study carried out by scientist have discovered that human behavior tends to change based whether or not someone else is watching or even if the watchful eyes are fake or inanimate. The study is based on the theory of “nudge psychology,” which suggests people behave better if the best option is highlighted, but not forced upon them. Linking that with the eyes grabs peoples’ attention, and makes that nudge even more effective.
Nudge Psychology Proves That Being Watched by Fake Eyes Changes Our Behavior
The Study also shows that simply tacking up posters of watchful eyes decreases bike theft, increases the amount of money put in break-room honor boxes where employees plunk money for donuts and coffee, and encourages people to clean up after themselves in cafeterias.

It was also revealed that it doesn’t seem to matter where those eyes appeared, because even when eyes were printed on a really tempting to discard objects like the promotional leaflets handed out on street corners, littering dropped by two-thirds.

The study also found nearly no one’s littering went down when other people were nearby.

“In the fight against anti-social littering, this study could be a real help. Fast food retailers might want to think about using it on packaging to discourage people discarding the wrappers,” study author Melissa Bateson, a professor at the Center for Behavior and Evolution at Newcastle University, said in a release. “The flip side is, for those handing out leaflets, it could help people take in the messages and they will be less likely to throw away a flyer with eyes on.”

While this study may be accurate, there are still some areas in so many societies around the world where these findings might not be applicable, like in the ghettos or rural areas where the low standard of living has affected the mindset of the inhabitants there. An eye on a wall or on a handbill is simply seen as just that and there is no other meaning attached to it or hoping that by parking your car close to an area where there is an eye painted on a wall may be the best way to protect your vehicle from any form of theft might just be something that happens in fairy tales.

These limitations to the nudge psychology can be traced to the social background of a person, the environment in which a person is brought up in and a person’s level of exposure/ enlightenment.


Source: http://www.hfmagazineonline.com/nudge-psychology-proves-watched-fake-eyes-changes-behavior/