After reading the first one earlier today I stocked up on alcohol-based handgel. Yes I know many consider it to make no real difference but I attend a University for pre-graduate studies and the idea of the student body making me sick grosses me out.

The research on the eyes 'watching you' having a an effect of increasing self-consciousness has been an example of how a plausible idea can become viral both within science and outside - it has even led to changes in public policy.

Yet the paper is very modest. (Declaration of interest: It was written by three of my colleagues, and I was one of the coffee room subjects.) The facts are clear, and the interpretation that the effect was due to eyes may be true.

But it is also possible that the difference was due to a pair of eyes being much more attention-grabbing than a panel of monochrome flowers (the attention-grabbing effect of eyes is well known to advertizers and publicity people, which is why so many magazines have a face on the cover, a face with the eyes looking directly at the reader).

The most parsimonious interpretation of this research is that when a notice has attention-grabbing features it is more likely to be read - and obeyed - than when a notice is inconspicuous.

To test whether pictures of eyes have a specific effect, one would need to control for the attention-grabbing attribute of eyes.

After reading the first one earlier today I stocked up on alcohol-based handgel. Yes I know many consider it to make no real difference but I attend a University for pre-graduate studies and the idea of the student body making me sick grosses me out.

kills bacteria at least.

Seems like the resolution for the possible confound bgc mentions, would be to just position the eyes (or negative control image) 180 degrees from the sign soliciting payment.

I actually ended up applying the eye research to everyday life. I taped a big, intense pair of eyes to my music player, since I often leave it laying about at the gym. It hasn't been stolen, but then again, it's not like it ever got stolen in the first place.

"kills bacteria at least" - and viruses picked up on the hands.

MAJOR discrepancy between males and females here. More evidence for the social nature of the female brain?