You're nicer when being watched

2007-07-27 11:28

Washington - When people and animals know they are being watched, they behave in more positive ways toward others, according to a study published on Thursday by the US magazine Science.

"When reputation is at stake, animals as well as humans switch from selfish to altruistic behaviour, because only the latter is socially rewarded," said the report.

"Recent investigations into human behaviour have shown that subtle cues of being watched such as two stylised eye-like shapes on a computer screen background suffices to change behaviour."

Similarly, a picture of eyes "attached to a cafeteria collection box significantly raises the donated amount compared to a flower symbol".

Manfred Milinski from the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Germany and Bettina Rockenbach of the University of Erfurt found that the human brain is "programmed" this way.

Researchers found that animals, including certain birds and fish, also change their behaviour if they know they are being watched.

"For example, the cleaning wrasse fish grooms its client fish in the friendliest way when other clients watch, but without an audience it prefers to bite off pieces of its client's skin," the report said.

- AFP