Prompt Cast
The Psychology of Staring: Why We Do It and How It Affects Us
TLDR Staring is an innate behavior in children that needs to be socialized out of them, and our eyes have evolved to detect when someone is looking at us. People tend to leave an intersection more quickly when they are being stared at, and staring can be a non-verbal communication for help or a desire to be left alone.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Staring at cereal box characters builds brand trust and loyalty among children.
04:29
Staring is considered rude in most cultures because humans are constantly categorizing things and when something is slightly off, our brains instinctively fixate on it for longer to gather more information.
08:44
Staring can be considered rude, but it is also a way for our brains to satisfy curiosity and gather information about something or someone that is different or unique.
12:46
Staring is an innate behavior in children that needs to be socialized out of them, and our eyes have evolved to detect when someone is looking at us.
17:26
Our eyes have evolved to detect when someone is looking at us, even if they are not looking directly at us, and there is a phenomenon called the psychic staring effect where people can feel when they are being stared at from behind, even though there is no logical way for them to know.
21:22
In a study from 1913, it was found that people guessed whether they were being stared at or not about 50 percent of the time, suggesting that the feeling of being stared at is actually just an illusion.
25:24
In a study, researchers found that people tend to leave an intersection more quickly when they are being stared at, compared to when they are not being stared at.
29:44
When someone is looking up and staring at you while you're picking up groceries, it is a non-verbal communication that they want help, whereas if they are looking down, they want to be left alone.
33:44
People are more likely to engage in ethical behavior when they think they are being watched, which is why returning your shopping cart and throwing away your movie theater trash are important.
37:41
The hosts discuss receiving an email from a listener and encourage listeners to reach out with their experiences of being stared at.
Categories:
Society & Culture
