Friday, February 09, 2007

Psychology in Lifts

You know how we all hate it when we are about to get out of lifts and others are shoving themselves in?? But sometimes we end up doing the same instead?! We're not gonna talk about this, but let's check this one out.

1. Stand or Lean
When you enter an empty lift, where do you stand in the lift? And do you stand straight or you lean against something? For myself, I nearly always stand at back left corner and lean to my left (lift wall supporting left shoulder). Can I actually come up with a psychological study on this preference of a) choice of location to stand in lift and b) to stand straight or lean? Anyway, what is your choice?

2. Pressing A Number
When you enter a lift with some other people (maybe 3-4), do you settle yourself nicely in the lift and then only press to the desired floor, or do you press first before you settle yourself? For myself, I nearly always press first the moment I enter the lift before settling myself where to stand. What do you do?

3. You and the Opposite Gender
If someone of your opposite gender stands exactly centre left of the lift, do you stand on the center right of the lift to sort-of "balance" the placement of people in the lift, or do you go about your business standing wherever you want? Just say that you stand on the centre right, with just the same distance from the lift door as the person beside you. Who leaves first? You attempt to leave first or the other person leaves first (ie reaching the Ground floor when you know both will leave at the same floor)? For myself, I nearly always allow someone parallel or in front of me to leave first and then my turn, unless I'm with my family in which case I'll just move towards the door to leave asap.

4. Idle Time in the Lift
At least 80% of the time, someone MUST make themself preoccupied while waiting to reach the desired floor. The other 20% of the time they just stand/lean there like a statue. Preoccupying means they fiddle with the phone, fiddle with their hair, looking up at the numbers (showing what floor lift is currently at), etc. For myself, if I know I don't need to fiddle with my phone, I nearly always looking up at the numbers. That's the only thing I can think of doing while waiting.

5. Aura
I'm sure you have been in a position where there are about 5 people in the lift and you are at the centre (since the other took the corners). How do you feel? Do you feel as if the two dudes/dudettes behind you are looking at you? Do you feel uneasy by the personal aura of four people intruding into your own personal aura? Or you don't even give a darn because you're aura-challenged? :P For myself, yes, I do feel uncomfortable at times, maybe due to the fact that standing in the center of the lift, I can't possibly lean against anything. How about you?


This is purely an opinion study I'd like to test because I travel up and down lifts daily as I need to meet tenants, contractors, do some rounding of the building, etc.

No comments: