Elevator psychology

There are a lot scene of people taking passenger elevators in American dramas.In “Mad Men”,colleagues working together usually take the elevator down stairs after work.In”Grey's Anatomy”,Characters in the elevator encounter the situation is often more embarrassing.Mostly is superiors and subordinates or lovers accidentally across in the elevator.

The elevator is also familiar in movies , it can show the atmosphere of suspense.In the begin of American film “Speed”,the hostage taking is occurred just in a elevator car.

Psychologists says that when we take the elevator most of the time we will feel very embarrassed, and this is the normal.Taking the elevator do not cost a long time,but embarrassing moment.People usually stop talking as soon as they walk into the elevator and keep silents.Why do we feel so embarrassed in the elevator?The psychologist explained that because the elevator inside the space is narrow and small.Usually when we meet others,we will keep a arm's length distance from each other.But when taking a elevator, usually you can have that space , so we will feel very unnatural.In such a small, enclosed space as in a elevator, our actions must not make others feel threatened, strange or ambiguous.The easiest way to do this is to avoid looking directly at others.

Workplace psychologist Fitz Gibbon said,elevator breaks down the safety distance between the normal people .Passengers do not have to the choice to move , which caused some kind of tension.

In the elevator, which people fear most is met over friendly person, they take lift as their Welcome Wagon.And also people like the "lost soul" do not know which floor to go, as well as terrible stranger keep talking to himself .

Social psychologists have a special study of how people choose to stand when they enter the elevator.When we walk into the elevator, we will stand face the elevator door.If someone comes in, we may need to do some move.The researchers found that the elevator passengers had a fixed pattern of movement.Passengers seem to instinctively know how to arrange their place in the elevator.

If there is only you alone in the elevator, you can stand anywhere you like.If someone comes in , imagine the elevator space as a face of the dice, you and he will each choose a corner of the dice.The diagonal ends of the two corners, so that the distance between the two largest.After third people come in, you will unconsciously lift the space into two right triangles.The third people stand to the center of the elevator, the midpoint of the diagonal.Fourth people came in, four people stand as a square.Fifth people will stand in the center of the elevator.Later, the passengers come in their will decided to stand where by situation. After get into the elevator, everyone will low their head, either look around at the elevator decoration, or using their phone.