# Staring eyes poster improves effectiveness of honesty box

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/07/08/staring-eyes-poster-improves-effectiveness-honesty-box/
- Published: 2006-07-08T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

![](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/files/images/news/4352.jpg)

Researchers at Newcastle University have found that people put nearly three times
as much money into an ‘honesty box’ when they were being watched by a pair of eyes
on a poster, compared with a poster that featured an image of flowers. Is this an
opportunity to boost income from static collecting boxes?
The results of the research,
believed to be the first to test how cues of being watched affect people’s tendency
for social co-operation in a real-life setting, have been published in the Royal
Society journal Biology Letters.

Lead author of the study, Melissa Bateson, a Royal Society research fellow based
at Newcastle University, said: “Our brains are programmed to respond to eyes and
faces whether we are consciously aware of it or not.

“Our findings suggest that people are less likely to be selfish if they feel they
are being watched, which has huge implications for real life.”

## Advertisement

For the best effect it seems that the eyes in the image had to appear to be looking
directly at the viewer.

So, does the research apply to charity collecting boxes in the same way as honesty
boxes? If so, will we start to see ‘Big Brother’-type eyes being built into static
fundraising collection boxes to boost donations? UK Fundraising isn’t aware of any
charities that have tested this approach but we’d be happy to report on any that
have.

 * **[Barnardo's seeks volunteers for street collections outside Tesco stores](https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/07/22/barnardo039s-seeks-volunteers-street-collections-outside-tesco-stores/)**(
   22 July 2006)
 * **[Big Lottery Fund offers £50 million for community centre buildings](https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/07/26/big-lottery-fund-offers-50-million-community-centre-buildings/)**(
   26 July 2006)
 * **[Branded water bottles enable companies to show support for charities](https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/07/27/branded-water-bottles-enable-companies-show-support-charities/)**(
   27 July 2006)