The Secret to Stopping Lunch Thieves

The ‘watching-eye effect’, also called the Hawthorne effect, is a powerful tool that you’ve likely seen in action without even realizing it. This principle is widely used in public spaces and you can harness it's impact on your own life... right down to protecting your lunch from the slippery lunch thief.

Identify the Use of the Hawthorne Effect in Public

The next time you are waiting for an elevator in a hotel or lobby, look around and note the polished surfaces or mirrors. For that matter, note inside the elevator- shiny polished surfaces or mirrors are there, too. If you are at the gym, make note of the mirrors in the locker room, at fast food restaurants notice the highly polished surfaces in restrooms, and next time you pay a cashier take a look around and see if there is a mirror or other reflective surface in sight.

Look in those mirrors or polished surfaces and you’ll see your eyes staring back at you.

The watching-eye effect explains that people behave better and reduce anti-social actions when their subconscious is triggered by the presence of eyes, even if they are only a symbol or their own reflections.

Mirrors in hotel lobbies and at elevator banks are standard hospitality industry staging that reduces vandalism and dampens the urge to harm others.

In subways and train stations posters with images of eyes have the same effect, even if they are stylized or crude ovals.

Eyes Influence Altruistic Behaviors, too

Look at a selection of advertising or non-profit emails. Do you notice a theme?

The most successful donation campaign literature and graphics contain eyes looking out at the potential donor.

Who could tell this little guy that no one will help him find a home?

Or how about this duo, would you donate to save the life of this little girl’s kitty? It’s a double hit!

Stopping the Lunch Thief!

Put a stop to the lunchroom thief using the implementation of the Hawthorne Effect!

• Hang a photo or poster in the kitchen area that has eyes prominently shown. person, animal… even two wide-open sunflowers can induce this effect.
• Place a sticker or tag with a face showing wide-open eyes on your lunch bag before you place it in the refrigerator.
• Hang a magnet on the door of the locker or shelf where you keep your desk food snacks, just make sure it shows wide-open eyes.
• For good measure, put a sign on a donation box asking folks to chip in for coffee supplies. Make sure there are two open and pleading eyes on the sign (you could use any one of the images in this article!). Not only should you get donations, but the donation box shouldn’t be pilfered, either!

What examples of this have you thought of or seen since starting this article? Please let me know in the comments!

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It's amazing the way learning just a few new things can improve your life. Here's just three things to know before you buy a new mattress. These are hard-earned tips that I learned as a trained sleep expert and mattress manager. Being prepared before you buy a mattress saves you from spending more than you need to and will go a long way to guaranteeing you your very best night's sleep.

I hope you aren't too sleepy after reading about mattresses: here are two conditions that you can bring up over dinner some time. Ans, yes- I have them both.

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