Sure, we’re honest! But is that just about optics?!? Literally?
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Melissa Bateson of the University of Newcastle surveilled her university coffee room. Coffee, tea and milk were provided, and folks were expected to ante up for what they took. Surprise! Not everyone did.
So Bateson and colleagues posted, above the standard price list, pictures of eyes. Think paper eyes of both men and women, in different emotions (wide-eyed shock, for example, or flirtatiousness). Result? The unsuspecting subjects coughed up nearly three times as much for their drinks. Pictures of flowers instead? No power.
Bateson suggests eye pictures in public could curb antisocial or illegal behavior.
To get dogs to poop where they should, post pictures of big puppy dog eyes? More research is needed.
Reference: Bateson M, Robinson R, Abayomi-Cole T, Greenlees J, O’Connor A, Nettle D. 2015. Watching eyes on potential litter can reduce littering: evidence from two field experiments. PeerJ 3:e1443 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1443