Apparently, the world needs Batman more than we ever knew.
A study published this month in NPJ Mental Health Research shows that in nearly any situation if someone is present dressed as Batman, people behave better.
The researchers call it "The Batman Effect."
This study tested whether an unexpected event, such as the presence of a person dressed as Batman, could increase prosocial behavior by disrupting routine and enhancing attention to the present moment.
Here's how they ran the experiment:
A pregnant experimenter boarded a train in Milan 138 times during the busiest time of the day. In the controlled version, that's all that happened, and the researchers recorded how many times someone got up and offered her a seat.
In the experimental version, an experimenter dressed as Batman also boarded the train via another door.
Shockingly, people were way more likely to offer the pregnant lady a seat if Batman was present than if he wasn't: 67.21% vs. 37.66%.
Interestingly, among those who left their spot in the experimental condition, nobody directly associated their gesture with the presence of Batman, and 14 (43.75%) reported that they did not see Batman at all.
The researchers suggest that The Batman Effect occurs because any change to routine will make people more aware of their surroundings, which also makes them more aware of others' needs and leads to pro-social behavior.
And that may be.
Or it could be that the seat-hoggin' passengers had friggin' Batman breathing down their necks!
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