On a crowded Italian subway, where most riders keep their heads down, their earbuds in, and their attention elsewhere, a caped crusader stepped on board to test a theory. Could an unexpected moment shock people out of their apathy? A new field study suggests the answer is yes. A group of Italian university researchers discovered that passengers seemed to be much more likely to offer their seat to a pregnant woman with a superhero standing just a few feet away.
The findings, appearing in npj Mental Health Research, add to a growing body of evidence that small, novel disruptions can nudge people toward their better nature.
Methodology
The setup was as simple as it was dramatic. Two researchers boarded metro cars across Milan over the course of 138 short rides. In both conditions, a woman wearing a convincing prosthetic belly entered with an observer. In the experimental condition, a third member of the research team, dressed as Batman, entered through another door. Then the researchers waited to see who – if anyone – stood up.
They (usually) didn’t have to wait long. In the control sessions, 37.7% of riders surrendered their seats. When Batman appeared, that figure jumped to 67.2%.
“We were interested in whether a simple, unexpected event could disrupt people’s automatic routines,” the authors wrote.
That disruption, they figured, might heighten awareness: of the moment, of one’s surroundings, and of the needs of others.
What About Batman?
The researchers expected some passengers to notice the superhero and act accordingly. But nearly half of the passengers who stood up in the Batman condition claimed later that they never even noticed him. Among those interviewed, 44% insisted that they didn’t see Batman. And none of them credited him with influencing their decision.
Instead, most framed their motives around social norms, common courtesy, or safety.
That unconscious element is, in some ways, the most interesting part of this study. It hints that the disruption might ripple through a group even when individuals don’t directly perceive the source, reinforcing the notion of a “social contagion.”
Why Batman Might Make a Difference
The study didn’t claim that Batman himself has moral superpowers. Instead, the authors outlined multiple possible explanations:
- Unexpected stimuli can shock us out of autopilot, and force us to take another look at our surroundings.
- Novelty can trigger a brief, mindfulness-like state.
- Superhero imagery might also reignite prime culturally shared ideals about doing the right thing, even if we’re not aware of it.
- When we notice something unusual, it can make us more attentive. And that attentiveness might spread socially.
At the same time, the researchers remained circumspect. Social priming research has a mixed record, and, historically, it’s been tricky to replicate results. The authors acknowledge that while Batman might have functioned as a prosocial cue, it’s equally possible that he simply broke the routine flow of a weekday commute.
Designing Kinder Public Spaces
The implications extend well beyond Gotham City. If little surprises can spark better behavior, we might have a new tool for making daily life a little more humane.
But what does that look like in real life? Urban designers and public officials could experiment with “positive disruptions” – art installations or performance pieces, for example – to encourage awareness and connection. Such interventions wouldn’t need to be overt attempts to preach or shame people. They don’t need to be anything more than a way to shift our attention just for a moment.
Call it the Batman bounce. Or just an optimistic reminder that on a busy subway car, we might only need a slight nudge to do the right thing.
Further Reading
Can Doing Good Help Rein in Your Emotions?
