Observer effect study · 90 societies · 15 everyday behaviours

How much does who is watching change what is okay to do?

Pick an everyday behaviour. The three maps below show how appropriate it is rated when no one is watching, in front of peers, and in front of higher-status others — across 90 countries. As an audience appears, the world's disagreement shrinks: norms converge under observation.

Behaviour

How much does the world disagree?

Each dot is one country's average rating. When people are alone, countries sit far apart on what is okay. With peers, the dots draw in. With higher-status others, they huddle near the conservative end. Norms travel together once an audience is in the room.