The "watching-eyes" effect as a nudge: A social experiment in virtual and real space

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H01079
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 10010:Social psychology-related
• Research Institution: The Open University of Japan
• Principal Investigator: Mori Tsutako 放送大学, 教養学部, 教授 (30340912)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 池田 まさみ 十文字学園女子大学, 教育人文学部, 教授 (00334566) ; 高比良 美詠子 立正大学, 心理学部, 教授 (80370097)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 社会的認知 / watching-eyes effect / 向社会的行動 / メタ分析 / VR空間

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study investigated "the watching-eyes effect," a phenomenon in which prosocial behavior is promoted under environments with "watching eyes". Although there have been reports of failed replication on this effect recently, a number of detailed meta-analyses and experiments using VR and others have revealed that "watching eyes" do indeed influence our judgments and behaviors, but that the effect on prosocial behavior, in particular, depends on the features of the eyes presented. The results also suggest that this effect may not be due to the "watching-eyes" themselves, but rather to the presence of others perceived through the eyes.

Free Research Field

社会心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

特に向社会的行動において、呈示される目の特徴により“見つめる目”効果が左右されることを明らかになったことで、学術的には、この効果がしばしば追試に失敗する理由や、効果が生じるメカニズムに示唆を与えることになった。また現段階では、現実社会（実空間）に即座に応用できる知見は得られていないが、仮想空間（VR空間）内の実験を繰り返すことで、“見つめる目”効果を、向社会的行動を引き出すための「ナッジ」として利用できる可能性が拡がることを期待できる。