From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eye contact is an event when two people look at each other's eyes at the same time.^[1] It is a form of nonverbal communication and has a large influence on social behavior. Frequency and interpretation of eye contact vary between cultures and species. Eye aversion is the avoidance of eye contact.

Contents 1 Social meanings of eye contact 2 The effectiveness of eye contact 2.1 Physiological explanation 2.2 Mother/child eye contact 2.3 Other explanations 3 Cultural differences 4 Eye aversion and mental processing 5 Misc 6 References 7 See also 8 External links

Eye contact and facial expressions provide important social and emotional information; people, perhaps without consciously doing so, probe each other's eyes and faces for positive or negative mood signs. In some contexts, the meeting of eyes arouses strong emotions.

In some parts of the world, particularly in East Asia [Korea, Japan, and China], eye contact can provoke major misunderstandings between people of different nationalities. Keeping direct eye contact with elderly people leads them to assume you are being aggressive and rude — the opposite reaction of most Americans or Europeans.

Eye contact is also an important element in flirting, where it serves to establish and gauge the other's interest. There is a longstanding cliché about locking eyes with a "stranger across a crowded room", which originated with the song "Some Enchanted Evening" from the 1949 musical South Pacific.

The size of the pupils may reveal a great deal about a person's current state. Strong emotions, convictions, and moods often stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and cause dilation of the pupils. In response to a threat or fear, this is often called the fight or flight response, and has an effect on the appearance of the eye.

The pupil may dilate if a person sees something (or someone) of interest or is aroused, thus making eye contact much more intense than it already is. Studies have shown that humans (especially females) are judged as more attractive if their pupils are more dilated than is normal; belladonna was and sometimes is still used cosmetically in some cultures to provoke pupil dilation.

Although some assert that children often respond to their mother's eyes from the moment of birth and that babies instinctively smile at black geometric spots — perceiving them as "eyes" by six weeks of age, a 1985 study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology suggested that "3-month-old infants are comparatively insensitive to being the object of another's visual regard".^[2] A 1996 Canadian study with 3 to 6 month old infants found that smiling in the infants decreased when adult eye contact was removed.^[3] A recent British study in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience found that face recognition by infants was facilited by direct gaze.^[4] Other recent research has confirmed the belief that the direct of gaze of adults influences the direct of gaze of infants.^[5][6]

Communicating attention A person's direction of gaze may indicate to others where his or her attention lies.

Facilitating learning Recent studies suggests that eye contact has a positive impact on the retention and recall of information and may promote more efficient learning.^[7][8][9]

In animal behavior, extended staring is considered generally either a challenge or a sexual signal.^{[citation needed]} Primatologists sometimes refer to the brief period of staring between two individuals about to mate as the "precopulatory gaze."^{[citation needed]}

In Islam, Muslims must lower their gaze and try not to focus on the opposite sex's faces and eyes after the initial first eye contact, other than their legitimate partners or family members, in order to avoid potential unwanted desires (See References). Lustful glances to those of the opposite sex, young or adult, are also prohibited. This means that eye contact between any man and woman is allowed only for a second or two. This is a must in most Islamic schools, with some exceptions depending on the case, like when teaching, testifying, or looking at a girl for marriage. If allowed, it is only allowed under the general rule: "No-Desire", clean eye-contact. Otherwise, it is not allowed, and considered "adultery of the eyes."

In many cultures it is respectful to not look the dominant person in the eye, but in Western culture this can be interpreted as being "shifty-eyed", and the person judged badly because "he wouldn't look me in the eye".^[10]

A study by University of Stirling psychologists found that children who avoid eye contact while considering their responses to questions had higher rates of correct answers than children who maintained eye contact.^[11] One researcher theorized that looking at human faces requires a lot of mental processing, which detracts from the cognitive task at hand.^[11] Researchers also noted that a blank stare indicated a lack of understanding.^[11]

In adults, eye contact shows personal involvement and creates intimate bonds. Mutual gaze narrows the physical gap between humans.

Documentary filmmaker Errol Morris invented a device called the Interrotron which allowed his interview subjects to look directly into the camera while being filmed. It allows the film's viewers to maintain eye contact with the people in Morris' films, giving what some describe as a more intimate acquaintance with them.

A positive use of eye contact is with the triangle approach, when you cycle between each eye and the mouth. You also shouldn't look to the persons face more than ¾ of the talk. Following these techniques should give the impression of interest and sincerity.

• Al-Munajjid, Sheikh Muhammad Saleh (14/March/2004). "Twenty Tips for Lowering the Gaze". Retrieved March, 31, 2006.
• A Group of Islamic Researchers (10/July/2004). "Lowering the Gaze: Summer Combat!". Retrieved March, 31, 2006.

• Australian Aboriginal avoidance customs
• Evil eye
• Interpersonal communication
• Staring contest
• The gaze ( concept in postmodern and feminist philosophy)
• The look - Description of interpersonal discomfort by Jean-Paul Sartre

• "Making Eye Contact" by Dr. Allen Konopacki (.pdf file) - advice for salepeople
• "The Secrets of Successful Eye Contact" - advice for those with Asperger's Syndrome
• "Spot a liar by their eye movements using this tutorial" including diagrams for easy learning

• "Eye Direction and Lying" Eye Movement and Direction and How it Can Reveal the Truth or a Lie
• Nonverbal Dictionary