Forget about buying expensive surveillance cameras to keep thieves at bay -- a simple, low-cost defense against thieves and freeloaders may be a photocopy of a pair of eyes.
Researchers into behavior at England's University of Newcastle performed a sly experiment on their coworkers. The professors' area in the university's psychology department had an "honesty box" in which the teachers were asked to pay for items like tea, coffee and milk.
Over the course of 10 weeks, the researchers placed a sign on the door of the cabinet where the honesty box was located and above the kettle and coffee machine.
PHOTO: AFP
The researchers also hung a picture close to the sign, which they changed every other week. One week, they hung a picture of flowers and the next week they hung a picture of eyes, sometimes male and sometimes female. The expression of the eyes ranged from alert and watchful to manic. Every week, the money collected in the honesty box was counted up.
On weeks when the "eyes” image was shown, 276 percent more money was collected than during the "flower" weeks.
Why were the eyes so effective? Shame is one reason.
Humans are "strongly attuned" to subconscious suggestions about behavior that could damage their reputation, the study supposes. The study appeared in June in Biology Letters, published by Britain's Royal Society.
(AFP)
別為了防盜購買昂貴的監視攝影機,想將小偷和白吃白喝的人擋在門外,只要一對眼睛的照片,簡單又便宜。
英國紐卡索大學行為研究人員對同事進行一項調皮的實驗,心理系的教授休息區有個「誠實盒」,教師被要求飲用茶、咖啡或牛奶都必須投錢進「誠實盒」。
十個星期來,研究人員在放置「誠實盒」的櫥櫃(水壺和咖啡壺上方)門上,放了一張告示。
研究人員也在告示旁掛一張照片,每星期更換。一星期掛花朵照片,下星期掛上眼睛的照片,時而男性,時而女性,眼神從警覺、戒備到狂熱亢奮都有,每星期總結一次「誠實盒」收到的錢。
放「眼睛」照片的那幾個星期收到的錢比掛「花朵」時多出276%。
為何眼睛的效果這麼好?羞恥心是原因之一。
這項研究認為,人類對於可能會破壞名聲的潛在暗示行為極度敏感。這份研究報告刊登在不列顛皇家學會所出版的六月號生物通訊刊。
(法新社╱翻譯︰鄭湘儀)
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