Why You Feel Like Everyone Is Watching You

Ever walk into a room and suddenly become aware of everything you’re doing? Where your hands are. How you’re standing. How you look. Whether someone noticed that small mistake. It can feel like everyone is paying attention to you. But psychology suggests your brain may be overestimating just how much other people notice you. In this video, we explore the spotlight effect, the illusion of transparency, and why self-focused attention can make you feel like you're constantly being watched. This video is for educational purposes. Sources Gilovich, T., Medvec, V. H., & Savitsky, K. (2000). The spotlight effect in social judgment: An egocentric bias in estimates of the salience of one's own actions and appearance. Gilovich, T., Savitsky, K., & Medvec, V. H. (1998). The illusion of transparency: Biased assessments of others' ability to read one's emotional states. Brown, M. A., & Stopa, L. (2007). The spotlight effect and the illusion of transparency in social anxiety. Spurr, J. M., & Stopa, L. (2002). Self-focused attention in social phobia and social anxiety. Canvin, L. et al. (2016). Focussing Attention on Oneself Increases the Perception of Being Observed by Others.