User:Mward184/sandbox

Spotlight effect: The Spotlight Effect refers to our tendency to think that other people are watching us more closely than they actually are, which is a part of attribution

Spotlight effects main focus point is that we all think were the center of attention and that fact is what makes it an error. The reason its an error is only one thing can be the center of attention. By being so wrapped up in our own life we don't notice every little detail of what another person is doing even though they may think we do notice.

People typically overestimate how harshly they will be judged for their failures and social blunders. For example, people who imagined accidentally tripping a security alarm in the presence of others thought they would be judged more negatively than they actually were. So too with people who imagined showing up at a party without a gift, people who failed a particularly difficult test in front of others, and people who were introduced to a stranger as someone who experiences “occasional difficulties with bed wetting.” This miscalibration is further compounded by a related tendency for people to overestimate the extent to which others notice and attend to their appearance and behavior in the first place, a tendency dubbed the spotlight effect

Another phenomenon relevant to the spotlight effect is the self-as-target bias, or the sense that actions or events are disproportionately directed toward the self “I'm not prepared today and I just know she's going to call on me”. “I bet those people giggling over there are laughing at me”; “The lead actress seems to be directing her lines primarily in my direction.” The effect may be particularly familiar to academics, some of whom may have had an uninspiring athletic history: Little Leaguers who are “hidden” by their coaches in right field (where the ball is least often hit) nonetheless feel certain that the next fly ball will be hit their way. Not only that, but they are convinced that the opposing team has sensed their questionable talents and is trying to hit to right field. Like naive realism, then, the self-as-target bias reflects a confusion between what is available to oneself and what is likely to be available to (and hence guide the actions of) others. In Lewinian terms, it represents a failure to recognize fully that the representation of oneself in one's own “life space” is unlikely to be matched by an equally strong representation in the life space of others

Because we are so focused on our own behavior, it can be difficult to arrive at an accurate assessment of how much—or how little—our behavior is noticed by others. Indeed, close inspection reveals frequent disparities between the way we view our performance (and think others will view it) and the way it is actually seen by others. Whether making a brilliant point in a group discussion, contributing to a successful project, or executing the perfect jump shot on the basketball court, we sometimes find that the efforts we view as extraordinary and memorable go unnoticed or underappreciated by others. The same is true of the actions we wish to disown because they reflect poorly on our ability or character. They too may have less impact on our audience than we might think. An “obvious” social gaffe on a first date, an awkward stumble at the front of a line, or the misreading of a crucial passage of a prepared speech—each may seem shameful and unforgettable to us, but they often pass without notice by others.

a number of investigations that individuals are typically less transparent than they suspect. In one study, participants were asked to conceal their disgust over a foul-tasting drink, and then to estimate how successfully they had done so. Specifically, we asked participants to taste five specially prepared drinks while we videotaped their reactions. Four of the drinks were pleasant tasting and one randomly placed amidst the other four was decidedly unpleasant. After tasting all five, participants estimated how many of 10 observers would be able to guess which drink had been the foul-tasting one after watching a videotape of their facial expressions. As expected, tasters overestimated theextent to which their disgust was transparent: The observers were farless accurate than the tasters predicted