The Spotlight Effect in Social

Judgment: An Egocentric Bias in

Estimates of the Salience of One's Own
Actions and Appearance

Rationale – this study attempts to give rise to

Psychological Bias the egocentric tendencies that tend to make
one believe they are the center of attention
Spotlight Effect when they are not.
Brooke Stubbert
Methodology

 Sample – 109 Cornell University

undergraduates
 Measures – Difference between
estimates by target and actual
accuracy rate of observers.
 Procedures – On arrival, observers
were led to a laboratory room and
asked to fill out a questionnaire. 5
Spotlight Effect minutes later, the target person
entered wearing a shirt with a large
The belief that people are more focused on you picture of Barry Manilow on it, leaving
and your behavior than they really are. shortly after. Participants were asked if
Theres a tendency to forget that everyone
Knowledge Users they had noticed after.
perceives, thinks, and acts differently than Results
“a knowledge user is defined as an
oneself.
individual who is likely to be able to use
research results to make informed Target participants overestimated the extent
Usually occurs when something unusual to which people are observing them.
happens. decisions about health policies, programs,
and/or practices” – CIHR (Glovich, et al.
2000). Implications
Example: Thinking everyone is noticing the
coffee stain on your shirt when really no one Suggests that it’s the feeling of potentially
may have noticed. Researchers, parents, teachers, police
officers, social workers, the general public, being the center of attention rather than the
etc. can all benefit from this knowledge as embarrassing image on the shirt that is
Relevant in clinical practices providing responsible for the targets exaggerated
therapeutic services (i.e., when assessing they can be more aware. Social workers,
counsellors, etc., can all benefit from this estimates of observers salience.
individuals), educational institutions (i.e. allows
teachers and students to be more aware of research as it can help them when
these mental processes), law enforcement (i.e. assessing clients.
better understanding of human behavior).

Gilovich, T., Medvec, V., & Savitsky, K. (2000). The spotlight effect in social judgment: an egocentric bias in estimates of the salience of one's own actions and
appearance. Journal of personality and social psychology, 78 2, 211-22 .