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I know you’re watching me! : A study into the effects of being aware of a watching eyes priming stimulus on altruistic behaviour.

Lukkien, Jip (2019) I know you’re watching me! : A study into the effects of being aware of a watching eyes priming stimulus on altruistic behaviour.

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Abstract:The watching eyes effect is a priming technique used to influence a subject’s behavior. By unconsciously suggesting a subject is being watched, the subject changes their behavior in a prosocial way. It is unclear whether the subject’s awareness of the influence of this subtle cue affects its success in promoting prosocial behavioral changes. A survey was conducted containing an economic dictator game to evaluate the degree to which the watching eyes effect can influence prosocial division of money between two participants, and whether knowledge of the effect decreases its prosocial influence. The study yielded no significant effects of the watching eyes effect on the prosocial division of money, and no significant effect of an explanation of the watching eyes phenomenon. The study did however find a significant impact of the watching eyes effect on the self-perceived image of social responsibility. This suggests that the watching eyes effect may be exaggerated in previous studies, and that more research is needed in this field to develop a stronger understanding of the phenomenon.
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:02 science and culture in general, 70 social sciences in general
Programme:Communication Studies BSc (56615)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/78347
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