Are you convinced that everyone out there is noticing your every flaw and judging you? That the small mistake you made during a conversation or the time you spilled coffee on yourself all everyone is thinking about? If yes, then you might be prey to a phenomenon called the spotlight effect. 

According to Psychology Today, “The spotlight effect” refers to the tendency to think that more people notice something about you than they do.”

In other words, it is a cognitive bias. This type of cognitive bias influences the manner in which we view situations by causing us to rely on our own perspectives to a great extent. 

Research has shown that people do indeed overestimate the extent to which their actions and appearance are noted by others, providing evidence for the spotlight effect (Gilovich et al., 1999). For instance, in a particular study,  participants who were dressed in an embarrassing T-shirts walked in on a group of people who were filling out questionnaires. The participants were later asked how many of those present may have noticed their shirt. Their answers were overestimations. Studies also show that people overestimate the extent to which their isolated actions and appearance are noted by others. Moreover, we similarly tend to overestimate the extent to which the variability in our actions and appearance is noticed by others (Gilovich et. al, 2002). The spotlight effect may also play a role in social anxiety. For individuals with social anxiety, thinking of this kind may be unreasonably pronounced. (Smallwood et. al,2017) 

The spotlight effect is a result of an egocentric bias. In simpler terms, an egocentric bias is the tendency to anchor others’ perspectives to our own (Gilovich et. al, 2000). Another cognitive bias also plays a role in the spotlight affect- the illusion of transparency. The illusion of transparency refers to the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others can recognize our mental state (Gilovich et al., 1999)

So, how do we overcome the spotlight effect?  It might be a good idea to use self-distancing techniques. In such techniques, you see yourself from an external perspective. For instance, if you are worried everyone will notice that you are having a “bad hair day”, ask yourself how often you notice others’ “bad hair days.”

You can also use the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) technique of cognitive restructuring. Cognitive restructuring involves the identification and restructuring of maladaptive or irrational thoughts. For example, with this technique, you might restructure a maladaptive thought such as, “Everyone noticed the mistake I made during the presentation.” to “The mistake I made was a small one, not everyone may have noticed it and even if they did, they are not as concerned about it as I believe.”

If you find yourself overly concerned with others’ perceptions of you, it might be beneficial to seek help from a mental health professional. 

The spotlight effect may also result in decision making that is based on the incorrect assumption that we are constantly in the “spotlight.” Being aware of the spotlight effect can help reduce its impact. It might be helpful to realize that in actuality, people often do not notice us as much as we think they do and more often than not, most people do not care. As much as we are thinking about ourselves, others are busy thinking about themselves. Learning to recognize and overcome the role the spotlight effect plays in our thinking can help us become less self-conscious and more confident.

– Urveez Kakalia and Niharika Bhatia.