你是不是曾经因为在某一次派对上把饮料撒了一身而懊恼很久？你有没有曾经在公共场合摔倒，然后在5秒钟内迅速起身，还要装作若无其事？回答都是“是”？恭喜你，你也是spotlight effect组的一员了。

Spotlight effect, also called the social spotlight effect, is the tendency to believe that other people are paying closer attention to one's appearance and behavior than they really are.

焦点效应，也叫做社会焦点效应，是人们高估周围人对自己外表和行为关注度的一种表现。

Spotlight effect is a universal experience that distorts our egocentric notion about the degree to which people in groups, like parties and work gatherings, pay attention to us. It is why you feel like a public failure if you stand in the corner or spill a drink at a party. People tend to think the social spotlight shines more brightly on them than it does. But many fewer people notice these and other embarrassing circumstances than you might think, and you can relax.

焦点效应其实是每个人都会有的体验，这种心理状态让我们过度关注自我，过分在意聚会或者工作集会时周围人们对我们的关注程度。因为有焦点效应心理，你才会因为在聚会上站在角落或者弄撒了饮料而觉得自己很失败。人们总是觉得社会聚光灯对他们格外关注，而事实并非如此。其实注意到你把饮料弄撒或其它尴尬场景的人并没有你想象的那么多，所以，不用那么紧张的。

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（英语点津 Helen 编辑）

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