"In a study conducted in Milan, Italy, and published in November 2025, the sight of a person dressed as Batman led to a nearly doubled rate of people giving up their seat to a pregnant woman. Over the course of 138 subway rides, researchers found that people who saw "Batman" standing near the pregnant woman were far more altruistic than those who did not."
"We assume our capacity for altruism is fixed. But the sight of a superhero-or a simple routine change-can increase it. As a speech pathologist, I'm fascinated by how these micro-moments can alter "big" aspects of ourselves, like how much we care for others. This is especially key in the realm of language and self-talk. Often, we don't even notice the constant stream of thoughts underlying how we talk about others and ourselves."
Sight of a person dressed as Batman in Milan nearly doubled the rate of people giving up their seat to a pregnant woman across 138 subway rides. The phenomenon is termed the "Batman effect" and suggests involuntary mindfulness triggered by subtle social cues that shift automatic reactions. Forty-four percent of respondents did not consciously notice Batman's presence. Third-person superhero self-talk increases children's persistence at tedious tasks. Micro-moments and small routine changes can increase altruism and alter how individuals talk to themselves and others. These cues can act as behavioral nudges shaping social behavior and self-related cognition.
Read at Psychology Today
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