阅读理解

HonestyisthebestpolicyastheEnglishsayinggoes．UnfortunatelyhonestyoftenleavesuswhennooneiswatchingBritishpsychologistsreportedlastweek．

ResearchersatUK'sNewcastleUniversitysetupanexperimentintheirpsychologydepartment'scoffeeroom．

Theysetakettlewithteacoffeeandmilkonthecounterandhungupasignlistingthepricefordrinks．Peoplehelpingthemselvestoacupofteaweresupposedtoputafewcentsintheboxnearby．

Thescientistshungaposterabovethemoneyboxandchangedeachweekbetweenpicturesofgazing(注视的)eyesandpicturesofflowers．Theresearchersfoundthatstaffpaid2.76timesmorefortheirdrinkswhentheimageoftheeyeswashung．

“Wewereshockedbythesizeoftheeffect”saidGilbertRobertsoneoftheresearchers．

Eyesareknowntobeapowerfulperceptual(知觉的)signalforhumansscientistssay．

“Eventhoughtheeyeswerenotrealtheystillseemedtomakepeoplebehavemorehonestly”saidMelissaBatesonabehavioralbiologistandleaderofthestudy．

Researchersbelievetheeffectthrowslightonourevolutionary(进化的)past．Itmayarisefrombehavioralcharacteristicsthatdevelopedwhenearlyhumansformedsocialgroupstoincreasetheirchancesofsurvival．Forsocialgroupstoworkindividualshadtoco-operateratherthanactselfishly．“There'sanargumentthatifnobodyiswatchingusitisinourintereststobehaveselfishly．Butwhenwe'rebeingwatchedweshouldbehavebetter．Sopeopleseeusasco-operativeandbehavethesamewaytowardsus”Batesonsaid．

Thenewfindingindicatesthatpeoplehaveastrikingresponsetoeyes．ThatmightbebecauseeyesandfacessendastrongbiologicalsignalwehaveevolvedtorespondtoBatesonsaid．

Thefindingcouldbeputtopracticaluse．Forexampleimagesofeyescouldensureticketsalesonpublictransportandimprovesurveillance(监视)systemstodeterantisocial(反社会)behaviour．