People act more honestly, if they are watched

A Newcastle University team monitored how much money people put in a canteen "honesty box" when buying a drink. They found people put nearly three times as much in when a poster of a pair of eyes was put above the box than when the poster showed flowers.

Photo: People act more honestly, if they are watched

People act more honestly, if they are watched

The brain responds to images of eyes and faces and the poster may have given the feeling of being watched, BBC News reports.

The researchers believe their findings provide a valuable insight into human behaviour, as the study suggests that people behave differently when they believe they are being watched because they are worried about how they are perceived.

It is thought that eyes on a poster have the same effect as a real person as the brain naturally reacts to images of faces and eyes, prompting subconscious reactions.  

The study monitored how much money was put into an honesty box for a staff room's tea and coffee milk fund, with posters close by alternating between those with eyes designed to look directly at the viewer and those with flowers.

On average people paid 2.76 times more for the milk on the weeks that the poster featured a pair of eyes, InTheNews.co.uk reports.