The Spotlight Effect
Written by: Jun Wei
What is the spotlight effect?
Can you recall a situation where you wanted to achieve something, but the fear of being noticed or judged by others held you back? Maybe you were hesitating to answer a question that was asked by your teacher in class… or perhaps you were anxious to reach out to strangers for a survey for your project work. You may have experienced the Spotlight Effect.
In reality, people have a tendency to overestimate the extent to which other people are paying attention to their appearance or behaviour in social situations. People often believe that they are being noticed way more than they actually are, which can amplify self-consciousness and anxiety in social situations.
To paint a clearer picture, imagine that in five minutes' time, John will be going up to a large stage to make a speech in front of 3000 audiences. As the moment gets closer, his heart palpitates quickly as anxieties grow, thinking that he cannot afford to make any mistake while delivering his speech as thousands of people would judge him for his incompetency. Eventually, John carries these worries with him up on stage which makes him even more nervous during his speech. In short, these feelings lead to self-fulfilling prophecies. However, as an audience, have you ever cared about those worries that John was feeling? Chances are that you did not even spare 10 seconds of thought towards it.
Why does it happen?
Psychologists say that the spotlight effect is believed to be driven by a cognitive bias known as the "illusion of transparency," which is the belief that one's thoughts and emotions are more obvious to others than they actually are. This can lead people to believe that their nervousness or self-consciousness is more visible to others than it actually is.
Social norms and expectations can also contribute to the spotlight effect. Sometimes we may feel immense pressure to conform to social norms around appearance and behaviour, like dressing up whenever we go to shopping districts (Orchard, Marina, Bugis, etc) and this pressure can lead us to feel that others are paying closer attention to us than they actually are.
Why we shouldn't fall prey to the Spotlight Effect
At this point, you should have realised that the Spotlight Effect is actually more common than we think, yet we did not really pay much attention to it. Undoubtedly, it has heavily influenced the way that we behave around others… which is why there is often a huge disparity between the way we behave at home and the way we behave in public.
While this can be good, there are many instances where it can do more harm than good - for instance, when choosing your education track (Poly, JC, ITE, Uni or going to work). As such, we should be mindful of the Spotlight Effect in these situations and prevent it from influencing our decisions.
Research has shown that people are not paying as much attention to us as we may think. Other people are often more focused on themselves and their own concerns, and may not be noticing our appearance or behaviour as closely as we assume.
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Furthermore, it can aggravate social anxiety: When we believe that others are paying close attention to us, we may become self-conscious and anxious in social situations. This can lead to avoidance of social situations and negatively impact our mental health.
It can also affect our performance: The spotlight effect can cause us to focus too much on ourselves and our own perceived flaws, rather than on the people and situations around us. This can negatively impact our performance in tasks that require our attention and focus.
Instead, if we challenge the spotlight effect and recognize that others may not be paying as much attention to us as we think, we may feel more confident and behave in ways that are more positive and affirming. This can lead to more positive outcomes and a more positive self-fulfilling prophecy. Through this, we can take control of our lives and not fall prey to societal expectations and influence.
How can being mindful of the spotlight effect help you in pursuing a gap year?
I’m unsure of what to pursue in university / I’m rejected from my dream course.
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Should I take a gap year?
But... my friends will be ahead of me / I will be losing out on a year's worth of income / My family aren’t supportive of this move / My peers will see me as a “reject”
But I do not want to enter a course that I do not really want / I want to reapply next year.
Being mindful of the spotlight effect is important for you if you wish to feel confident and comfortable with your decision to take a gap year. Chances are your friends or relatives will move on with their lives and forget about your situation/decision. As such, you should cast away the perception of others when weighing the benefits and costs of pursuing a gap year! This renewed sense of confidence may even drive you to pursue ambitious projects such as Gabrielle who founded GapyearSG and u/NuggetsForLyfe who sat for the A-levels three times to enter Medicine!
Taking a gap year can be a significant decision for people, especially in Singapore, as it involves taking time off from traditional educational or career paths to pursue personal growth, travel, or other interests. Given Singapore’s fast-paced culture, you may worry about falling far behind your peers or being afraid of how others will perceive their decision.
The spotlight effect can exacerbate these feelings, trapping you in a vicious cycle of thoughts or dilemma that fuels anxieties and worsen self-confidence. For instance:
Lessons Learnt
Overall, the spotlight effect is a complex phenomenon that is driven by a combination of cognitive biases, egocentrism, and social norms and expectations. In reality, it is often untrue and thus we should learn to be mindful of it when making decisions! Be wary of it and do not let it get in the way of your gap year pursuits!
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Pointers for self-reflection:
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1. What is your takeaway on the Spotlight Effect?
2. In what way is the Spotlight Effect relevant in your life?
2. Moving forward, how will you plan to overcome it?
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