People, animals behave better when watched: study

People, animals behave better when watched: study

news.yahoo.com

WASHINGTON (AFP) - When people and animals know they are being watched, they behave in more positive ways toward others, according to a study published Thursday by the US magazine Science.
"When reputation is at stake, animals as well as humans switch from selfish to altruistic behavior, because only the latter is socially rewarded," said the report.

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Studies like these only promote a police state surveilance society. Our government will use studies like this to calm the masses as cameras go up everywhere on our public streets.
Even pictures of eyes are used in this study, almost like a 1984 style big brother poster, to remind the subject they are being watched.

People may behave better when being watched, but at what price?

news.yahoo.com
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I read this great article a while ago about a test set up my uni students. They placed a table full of biscuits or cakes or something, and left it unmanned so that people could walk off with the cakes instead of paying.

When they put a vase of flowers on the wall behind the booth, something like 60% of the people did not pay. When they put a picture of an eye on the wall, that number dropped to 15%.

Percentages arent right, but it gives you some idea as to what even a simple photocopy of a picture of an eye can do.

I wouldn't doubt it. It is human nature to what to be thought highly of by others. People say, "I don't care what anyone think s of me." Really? Then why feel the need to even state that you don't care? Yeah, most people care what others think.

Originally posted by watch_the_rocks
Percentages arent right, but it gives you some idea as to what even a simple photocopy of a picture of an eye can do.

Thanks for the input. This study makes me wonder what common everday pictures or advertisements are doing to us on a subconcious level. That's an interesting topic I'm going to have to research.