What is the Observer effect?
The observer effect or « Heisenberg Principle » is a cognitive bias where people will change their behavior, just by the knowledge that they are being observed. For example, you can induce false memories in others just by suggesting them first .
Why does this happen?
When you know you are being watched (or even think of it) your brain starts to behave differently. You act differently, which causes new actions and reactions of other people who are subconsciously aware of the fact that something changed inside you. The Observer effect becomes effective because we feel like somebody is watching us. Maybe it’s because our parents used to watch us as kids every time we lied yeah? Or maybe more importantly; somebody might find out what we don’t want them to know. This might cause a dangerous situation, which is why people hide from the knowledge of others.
Why is this bias dangerous?
In my opinion, it’s important to be aware of when somebody observes us because we often behave differently in front of our friends or family than in front of strangers. For example, you might make fun of yourself more when your friend watches you than when a stranger does . So being aware of the observer effect can help us understand how other people perceive us and relate better with each other.
Observer effects examples?
There are many obvious and subtle forms that the Observer effect takes on a daily basis:
The classic Hawthorne studies from 1956 showed that factory workers changed their behavior just by the knowledge that they were being observed. This included increased productivity and better quality of work.
Another example, is the Milgram experiment from 1961, where an authoritative figure induces people to do things they normally wouldn’t do just because they told them to. An example would be delivering electrical shocks to unseen victims .
The Zimbardo Experiment in 1971 reveals how we can become objects of study instead of subjects: people played with their assigned roles as guards and prisoners. The fact that this was a psychological « game » doesn’t change the observation effect: many normal human beings turned into somebody different just because somebody else thought so .
Why do people use it?
There are two main reasons why people use the Observer effect cognitive bias: 1) For the better, 2) for the worse. The first one is called surveillance, where authorities use this cognitive bias to observe people and increase security. They do this by setting up cameras everywhere (and spying on us through our smartphones). An example of that is Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq which was filled with hidden cameras that monitored prisoners.
The second reason is more scary: Somebody can use this bias to manipulate somebody else into doing something they don’t want to. An example would be political propaganda .
How do people use it?
There are many ways you can create an Observer effect:
Surveillance: setting up secret cameras throughout your house or your workplace where you. This way, you will activate the Observer effect in others.
Using somebody as an example: showing somebody to your children that they should behave a certain way just because you observed somebody else doing it. For example, showing them how their parents scream at each other every day . You can use this technique by creating posters, writing articles or books about specific situations where authority figures (like police officers) were observed doing something wrong. Then, look through newspapers and find real examples before sharing them with others .
Creating fear: Sometimes people want to induce fear. This is very effective because of the Observer effect. An example would be scaremongering, where politicians exaggerate facts and events of terrorist groups to cause paranoia among citizens of their country.
Creating uncertainty about the event: When we don’t know how something happened, we often create our own explanation. This speculation can be even more effective than the real events: people will come up with theories just because somebody observed it and they want to make sense of what’s going on. An example would be conspiracy theories .
How do we create this bias?
We usually use the Observer effect when we feel like there is a lack of control or power. We observe an authority figure (a cop, teacher or parent) and try to behave like they do in order to get their approval and avoid punishment .
An observer effect also happens when you’re in front of strangers; we change our tone of voice and body language because that person is judging us and making us nervous .
We also use the Observer effect when there are physical barriers between people. We can’t see what’s going on behind closed doors, therefore we make assumptions about it. This cognitive bias is used in movies or TV shows where actors are observed talking or doing things that other member of the audience couldn’t see without the camera.
What professions use this bias?
People who induce fear usually use this bias: police officers, politicians and anybody with power over others to cause paranoia. Also, teachers that use threats or intimidation over their students will try to look like they have everything under control by observing everybody around them . An example would be crossing your arms while giving a lecture, scanning your surroundings constantly for bad behavior among children.
How to avoid using this bias?
It can be very difficult to avoid this bias. All you have to do is realize that other people are judging your behavior, then observe yourself and think about how would you feel if somebody else did something similar to you . Recognizing the Observer effect will decrease its impact on you over time, but it takes a lot of mental effort and observation before it becomes a habit.
For example, when somebody gets mad at you for doing something wrong, don’t try to change their opinion by acting like them or trying to say sorry. It’s impossible for us to fake emotions, so they will know immediately that we’re just observing them . When someone asks us what we want for dinner and we answer that we don’t know, they will start observing us if we keep that attitude.
Observer effect conclusion.
To conclude, this bias is a human tendency to take power from other people by observing them and trying to emulate their behavior . It can be used in many ways: creating fear, uncertainty or instilling confidence. All you have to do is recognize it and try to avoid your own observer effect.
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