你是不是曾經因為在某一次派對上把飲料撒了一身而懊惱很久？你有沒有曾經在公共場合摔倒，然后在5秒鐘內迅速起身，還要裝作若無其事？回答都是“是”？恭喜你，你也是spotlight effect組的一員了。

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.

焦點效應，也叫做社會焦點效應，是人們高估周圍人對自己外表和行為關注度的一種表現。

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.

焦點效應其實是每個人都會有的體驗，這種心理狀態讓我們過度關注自我，過分在意聚會或者工作集會時周圍人們對我們的關注程度。因為有焦點效應心理，你才會因為在聚會上站在角落或者弄撒了飲料而覺得自己很失敗。人們總是覺得社會聚光燈對他們格外關注，而事實并非如此。其實注意到你把飲料弄撒或其它尷尬場景的人并沒有你想象的那么多，所以，不用那么緊張的。

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（英語點津 Helen 編輯）

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