Episode
The Batman Effect: Do weird surprises make people nicer?
- Published
- Dec 15, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 2792
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Summary
Description Nobody expects Batman—but when he shows up in a crowded subway car, are people suddenly more likely to help a passenger in need? This week on Normal Curves, we unpack a recent quasi-experimental field study involving a caped superhero costume, a prosthetic pregnancy belly, and some puzzled Italian commuters. Along the way, we demystify three common ways of describing effects for binary outcomes—risk differences, risk ratios, and odds ratios—and explain what they actually mean in plain language. We also do some statistical sleuthing, uncover a major problem hiding in the paper’s numbers, and debate what really counts as an effective Batman outfit. Statistical topics absolute vs relative effects binary outcomes coding errors data errors and quality control effect size interpretation field experiments odds odds ratios percentage differences quasi-experimental studies risk differences risk ratios statistical sleuthing Methodological morals “We love an uncluttered paper, but when it's missing the basics, it's like an empty fridge. Clean, yes, but dinner is not happening.” “Before you make a fancy model, make sure the numbers in the table in the text match.” References Pagnini F, Grosso F, Cavalera C, et al. Unexpected events and prosocial behavior: the Batman effect. Npj Ment Health Res . 2025;4(1):57. Published 2025 Nov 3. doi:10.1038/s44184-025-00171-5 PubPeer. Comments on “Unexpected events and prosocial behavior: the Batman effect.” Accessed December 2025. Sainani KL. Understanding odds ratios . PM R . 2011;3(3):263-267. doi:10.1016/j.pmrj.2011.01.009 Nuzzo RL. Communicating measures of relative risk in plain English. PM R . 2022;14(2):283-287. doi:10.1002/pmrj.12761 Sainani KL. How statistics can mislead . Am J Public Health. 2012;102:e3-4. Kristin and Regi…