Figure 14.3: People are so sensitive to the attention of others that even photographs of a pair of eyes will influence people’s behavior. On alternating weeks, Melissa Bateson and her colleagues (2006) placed either a photo of eyes or of flowers on an “honesty box” used to collect donations for milk used in a university coffee room. Nothing else was mentioned. As you can see from the figure, the weekly income was consistently higher on weeks in which the eyes appeared on the honesty box than when flowers were present. Apparently, even the suggestion of being watched is enough to prod people toward honesty rather than risk the reputation of being a freeloader.

Bateson, Nettle & Roberts, 2006, The Royal Society.