TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of artificial surveillance cues on reported moral judgment
T2 - Experimental failures to replicate and two meta-analyses
AU - Northover, Stefanie B.
AU - Pedersen, William C.
AU - Cohen, Adam
AU - Andrews, Paul W.
PY - 2016/8/3
Y1 - 2016/8/3
N2 - Several papers have reported that artificial surveillance cues, such as images of watching eyes, cause anonymous participants to behave as if they are actually under surveillance, thus increasing moral behavior. In a series of four experiments, we found no evidence that artificial surveillance cues impact reported moral judgment, self-rated possession of positive traits, or religiosity. Two small meta-analyses, both comprising six experiments investigating the effect of artificial surveillance cues on moral judgment, provided mixed conclusions. One meta-analysis produced a mean effect size not significantly different from zero and the other produced a mean effect size on the edge of significance. On the whole, artificial surveillance cues have inconsistent effects, or possibly no effect, on moral outcomes.
AB - Several papers have reported that artificial surveillance cues, such as images of watching eyes, cause anonymous participants to behave as if they are actually under surveillance, thus increasing moral behavior. In a series of four experiments, we found no evidence that artificial surveillance cues impact reported moral judgment, self-rated possession of positive traits, or religiosity. Two small meta-analyses, both comprising six experiments investigating the effect of artificial surveillance cues on moral judgment, provided mixed conclusions. One meta-analysis produced a mean effect size not significantly different from zero and the other produced a mean effect size on the edge of significance. On the whole, artificial surveillance cues have inconsistent effects, or possibly no effect, on moral outcomes.
KW - Cues of being watched
KW - Eyespots
KW - Meta-analysis
KW - Moral judgment
KW - Observation cues
KW - Surveillance cues
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85009157916&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85009157916&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.12.003
DO - 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.12.003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85009157916
SN - 1090-5138
JO - Evolution and Human Behavior
JF - Evolution and Human Behavior
ER -