That embarrassing shirt? Only half as many people noticed as you thought
Gilovich, Medvec & Savitsky · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2000
01The result
Students put on a shirt with a singer's face on it. They felt silly in it. Then they walked into a room of other students. They guessed that about half the room noticed the shirt. In fact, less than a quarter did.
02Why it happens
We see ourselves all day, so our shirt feels huge to us. We forget that others do not see it the same way. The researchers call this the spotlight effect. It feels like a light is on us. Most of the time, it is not.
03Not just bad shirts
Other students wore a cool shirt that they liked. They also thought many people would see it. Again, far fewer people noticed than they guessed.
04What it means
A bad hair day or a strange outfit stands out less than we fear. Other people are busy with their own day.
05Limitations
The rooms were small, with only five or six students. The students only stayed for a short time.
Original paper
- Gilovich, Medvec & Savitsky (2000), Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, doi:10.1037/0022-3514.78.2.211
- doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.78.2.211
Also checked
- https://cornellalumnimagazine.com/things-that-make-you-go-hmm
- https://atticusli.com/replication-crisis/spotlight-effect/
- https://psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-mishaps/202111/why-some-people-assume-everyone-is-looking-them
HOLT NEWS read the paper and public materials and explained them in plain words. Illustrations by HOLT NEWS.
