Researchers have uncovered the unnoticed psychological effects of video surveillance.

Video surveillance has become nearly ubiquitous today. We find ourselves captured by cameras on the streets, in various public places, at work, and even at home while sitting in front of our laptops. Research indicates that when people are aware of being observed, it alters their conscious behavior. A recent experiment has revealed that video monitoring can also trigger involuntary, or subconscious, reactions in individuals, affecting their perception of their surroundings and, consequently, their mental state.

2024-12-19 10:00:59https://naked-science.ru/article/psy/videonablyudeniye-psihika

Numerous past studies have shown that individuals tend to exhibit more prosocial and altruistic behavior when they believe they are being watched. They are also less likely to steal, deceive, litter, or engage in other unethical actions. However, the impact of observation on fundamental, unconscious reactions and sensory perception in humans has been less thoroughly researched.

This topic was addressed by experts from the University of Technology Sydney (Australia). In a recently published article in the journal Neuroscience of Consciousness Psychology, they presented evidence that the innate and involuntary ability of people to recognize faces changes under conditions of video surveillance.

This mechanism, developed through the process of evolution, originally served to enable timely responses to potential threats in the environment, which is essential for survival. According to the researchers, in today's world, saturated with video monitoring systems, such reactions may be heightened, potentially posing risks to mental health.

The researchers concluded this based on a series of experiments in which participants were shown various visual stimuli and their response times to the appearance of face images were measured. Half of the 54 volunteers were made aware that they were being tested under observation, as indicated by the cameras directed at them. The control group had the cameras removed from the rooms and was shown that the live feed was turned off.

Results indicated that participants under video surveillance noticed face images on average nearly a second faster than those in the control group. Notably, the participants themselves were unaware of their heightened response and did not express concern or anxiety regarding the mere fact of being observed.

As the authors of this new study explained, the ability to quickly recognize faces plays a crucial role in human social interaction. For instance, gaze direction can aid in building models of others' thoughts and predicting their behavior. Simultaneously, in certain pathological conditions such as psychosis and anxiety disorders, individuals often experience an intrusive feeling of being watched.

The heightened response to faces observed under surveillance underscores the need for a more thorough investigation into how video monitoring impacts the psyche and health of the population as a whole, emphasized the Australian specialists.