Folks, we have some revolutionary sociological research to share with you today.
After making a guy dressed as Batman stand around in a subway car, a team of researchers found that the behavior of people around him suddenly improved the moment he showed up. No longer was everyone completely self-involved; with the presence of a superhero, commuters started helping each other more than they would’ve without him around.
Behold: the “Batman effect.”
Prior research had shown that just icons of eyes would help compliance; I guess it sort of reminds people others can see their behaviour.
This research seems an extension of that… and I am enjoying it
Because if Batman is around, there’s probably a camera too.
I find these results quite surprising, since I feel like I would be far less likely to notice someone needing my seat if there was a distracting person in a superhero costume. But maybe people audibly react, which causes more people to look up from their phones?
That’s not altruism, that’s fear.
Would need to see tests done. Try other threat stimuli, other Batman colour palettes. A pink one, for example.
Maybe we can have a violent clown threaten to blow up another train
Just a dude in full clown outfit, sitting silently in the middle of the train with a massive grin on his face, holding a big clearly marked stick of ‘Dynamite’ and a huge matchstick.
I can’t find it now, but there was an experiment where people were given a skill game to try and let alone in a (recorded) room, then self reported their score.
When the experimenter casually mentioned that this rocking chair over here was his late grandmother’s, he was just keeping it there until he could move it to his home, because he felt her presence in it, nobody lied about their score.
So, Batman and granny ghosts.
Neat, cheaters believe in ghosts
According to the article it’s not really about the character itself but rather introducing an unusual, offbeat element seems to make groups of people more empathetic.
44% of people who ceded their place to the pregnant woman in the study reported not even noticing the Batman. So this is some kind of subconscious effect on the crowd I guess.
I figured it’d be something along those lines, I was just being cute
I wonder if the same results would be true with any sort of law enforcement figure present
Even just an image of eyes on the wall is enough to change people’s behavior to be more honest: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060628091247.htm
Pretty much.
Seems a proof of the shopping cart theory to me
What’s that theory?
I live in EU where we have to put coin in order to pick a cart from the stack. I got this coin jam tool on my keychain that would jam open a cart and can be taken out after without putting a coin in. Never have I ever not returned a cart. That is just how it should be 150% of the time.
Now, the closest grocery store is 10 minutes away in walking distance. AND SOMEHOW WE STILL GET SHOPPING CARTS STANDING AROUND OUR BUILDING. People fucking suck.
Aldi uses the quarter thing here too, surprisingly effective for us apparently. At least in my own experience I don’t see Aldi carts just hanging around often
iirc more or less that shitty people don’t return their shopping carts and not shitty people do
idr the exact wording or alleged conclusions
