We behave better in the presence of other people, even if this presence is only apparent.
This conclusion was made by British psychologists Melissa Bateson, Daniel Nettle and Gilbert Roberts.
For 10 weeks in the lounge for teachers and students of the University of Newcastle (UK), they observed how much money visitors voluntarily put into a tin as payment for coffee, tea and milk.
In the days when a large photo of a person’s eyes with a stare hung next to the prices, the revenue was almost three times higher than on the days when a photo of a bouquet of flowers was placed on the wall. What prompts us to “look from the outside”?
Comments by Vadim Petrovsky, transactional analyst
“There is certainly an effect from such images. But it can be different depending on who exactly is watching and who catches the eye. In our experiment (in the early 80s), we asked schoolchildren to complete learning tasks in front of a teacher’s photo. Different teachers influenced students in different ways. Someone’s “presence” forced the child to honestly solve problems, and someone seemed to provoke him to peep the answer, write it off. Looking at a photo can “respond” in different parts of the personality. In an Adult based on reason, will and in control of his life, photo-observation will only strengthen an independent, mature position in which there is simply no need to break the rules. Those who have developed the authority of the Parent will join the silent eye-witness and with even greater confidence will control themselves, not succumbing to temptations. But if the Child is strong in a person, then the reaction can be a protest, disobedience. A look from the poster will work as a provocation: what if you try? Forbidden fruit is so sweet…”