Comments on: The Sense of Being Stared At (in the car) http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/05/20/the-sense-of-being-stared-at-in-the-car/ Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 21 May 2012 20:47:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: DavidM http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/05/20/the-sense-of-being-stared-at-in-the-car/#comment-7414 DavidM Fri, 22 May 2009 23:45:28 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=888#comment-7414 I suspect the "feel someone staring at you" sense is most likely peripheral vision outside of our concious attention. But I think the reason we respond so viscerally to someone staring at us likely goes back to our genetic heritage as a "prey" animal. A face with two forward set eyes staring intently at you likely means a predator has locked on to you as a target. The fact that they are looking at you from the side or behind further emphasizes that this is not a 'friendly' stare. Specific to the car experience, we do seem to have an inflated sense of anonymity when we're in a car. When a pedestrian or passenger in another car suddenly locks eyes with us, there is that awkward sensation that people can see you when you thought they could not. Especially when they're staring at you because you just cut them off! I suspect the “feel someone staring at you” sense is most likely peripheral vision outside of our concious attention. But I think the reason we respond so viscerally to someone staring at us likely goes back to our genetic heritage as a “prey” animal. A face with two forward set eyes staring intently at you likely means a predator has locked on to you as a target. The fact that they are looking at you from the side or behind further emphasizes that this is not a ‘friendly’ stare.

Specific to the car experience, we do seem to have an inflated sense of anonymity when we’re in a car. When a pedestrian or passenger in another car suddenly locks eyes with us, there is that awkward sensation that people can see you when you thought they could not. Especially when they’re staring at you because you just cut them off!

]]> By: Lee Hanna http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/05/20/the-sense-of-being-stared-at-in-the-car/#comment-7377 Lee Hanna Thu, 21 May 2009 02:30:34 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=888#comment-7377 I've noticed this in church, of all places. I will be looking at the altar-- where the action is--, and someone in the row in front of me might turn around. My eyes are drawn to look at their face, and that seems to draw them to look at me. We both quickly glance away, of course. I’ve noticed this in church, of all places. I will be looking at the altar– where the action is–, and someone in the row in front of me might turn around. My eyes are drawn to look at their face, and that seems to draw them to look at me. We both quickly glance away, of course.

]]> By: MattG http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/05/20/the-sense-of-being-stared-at-in-the-car/#comment-7368 MattG Wed, 20 May 2009 19:34:34 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=888#comment-7368 I am going to respectfully disagree with the above poster to the extent that it is possible to detect being "stared at" without any visual cues. Where's my empirical evidence, you ask? I'd like you to meet my charming daughters... They will both pad silently into my room and stare at me until I wake up and look at them. The older one has frequently told me that she doesn't say anything aloud because she "doesn't want to wake up Mom." How can I know she's there? I suppose that I should ask her how often I fail to wake up, but I can't imagine that she would leave until after she got her glass of water and tucked back in. I am going to respectfully disagree with the above poster to the extent that it is possible to detect being “stared at” without any visual cues. Where’s my empirical evidence, you ask? I’d like you to meet my charming daughters…

They will both pad silently into my room and stare at me until I wake up and look at them. The older one has frequently told me that she doesn’t say anything aloud because she “doesn’t want to wake up Mom.” How can I know she’s there? I suppose that I should ask her how often I fail to wake up, but I can’t imagine that she would leave until after she got her glass of water and tucked back in.

]]> By: techne http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/05/20/the-sense-of-being-stared-at-in-the-car/#comment-7364 techne Wed, 20 May 2009 17:13:55 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=888#comment-7364 IME the deciding factor is motion. When you turn your head in someone's peripheral vision, they notice it and look, but by the time they look your head is not moving, so it looks like they have been staring at you when really they were caught in a glance. I played with this once by keeping my head stationary facing parallel cars--that is, I looked at people without moving my own head--and nobody looked. That is consistent with what neuroscientists know about the visual system. So I guess that would make it a "primitive apparatus for detecting hazards." IME the deciding factor is motion. When you turn your head in someone’s peripheral vision, they notice it and look, but by the time they look your head is not moving, so it looks like they have been staring at you when really they were caught in a glance. I played with this once by keeping my head stationary facing parallel cars–that is, I looked at people without moving my own head–and nobody looked. That is consistent with what neuroscientists know about the visual system. So I guess that would make it a “primitive apparatus for detecting hazards.”

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