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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. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... A human eye. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In biology, psychology and sociology social behavior is behavior directed towards, or taking place between, members of the same species. ...

Social meanings of eye contact

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. Photographs from the 1862 book Mécanisme de la Physionomie Humaine by Guillaume Duchenne. ... Although the term social is a crucial category in social science and often used in public discourse, its meaning is often vague, suggesting that it is a fuzzy concept. ... Mood may refer to: chese Grammatical mood Emotional mood This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ...

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^{[citation needed]}. Flirting is alleged to be a form of human interaction, usually expressing a sexual or romantic interest in the other person. ... Some Enchanted Evening is a popular song from the musical South Pacific, written by Richard Rodgers (music), and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics). ... South Pacific is a musical play, with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. When it first opened on Broadway on April 7, 1949, it was produced by Leland Hayward and directed by Joshua Logan. ...

The effectiveness of eye contact

Physiological explanation

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 human eye The pupil is the central transparent area (showing as black). ... Emotional redirects here. ... Mood may refer to: chese Grammatical mood Emotional mood This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Grays FIG. 838– The right sympathetic chain and its connections with the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic plexuses. ... This article or section should include material from Fight-or-flight The flight or fight response, also called the acute stress response, was first described by Walter Cannon in the 1920s as a theory that animals react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system. ...

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. Sexual arousal is the process and state of an animal being ready for sexual intercourse. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Variation in the physical appearance of humans is believed by anthropologists to be an important factor in the development of personality and social relations in particular physical attractiveness. ... Binomial name Atropa belladonna L. Deadly nightshade or belladonna (Atropa belladonna) is a well-known perennial shrub, with leaves and berries that are highly toxic. ...

Mother/child eye contact

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] Faces of mother and child; detail of sculpture at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Female mallard duck and ducklings. ... Childbirth (also called labour, birth, partus or parturition) is the culmination of a human pregnancy with the emergence of a newborn infant/s from the mothers uterus. ... A human infant In basic English usage, an infant is defined as a human child at the youngest stage of life, especially before they can walk or simply a child before the age of one. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Geometry (from the Greek words Ge = earth and metro = measure) is the branch of mathematics first introduced by Theaetetus dealing with spatial relationships. ... The effects of ageing on a human face Elderly woman Ageing or aging is the process of systems deterioration with time. ...

Other explanations

Communicating attention A person's direction of gaze may indicate to others where his or her attention lies. Attention is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things. ...

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]}

Cultural differences

In Islam, Muslims often 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." A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... Look up Gaze in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

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] Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man, for many a symbol of the changes of the Western culture during the Renaissance Western culture or Western civilization is a term used to generally refer to most of the cultures of European origin and most of their descendants. ...

Eye aversion and mental processing

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] The University of Stirling is a campus university created in 1967, and located on the outskirts of Stirling in central Scotland. ... A psychologist is a researcher and/or a practitioner of psychology. ...

Misc

In adults, eye contact shows personal involvement and creates intimate bonds. Mutual gaze narrows the physical gap between humans. For the adult insect stage, see Imago. ... personal could refer to personal identity; a personal advertisement; an persons ego or self image, interests or goals; a personal problem; personal involvement; a trademark belonging to Sony. ... A personal relationship may result in a psychological bond. ... Bus shelter with seats with armrests, designed to deter proximity, as well as sleeping. ...

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. Errol Morris Errol Morris (born February 5, 1948) is an American Academy Award winning documentary film director. ... Errol Morris Errol Morris (born February 5, 1948) is an American Academy Award winning documentary film director. ...

References

• 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.

See also

• 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

Australian Aboriginal avoidance practices refers to those relationships in traditional Aboriginal society where certain people were required to avoid others in their family or clan. ... John Phillip, The Evil Eye (1859), a self-portrait depicting the artist sketching a Spanish gypsy who thinks she is being given the evil eye The evil eye is a widely distributed element of folklore, in which it is believed that the envy elicited by the good luck of fortunate... Interpersonal communication is the process of sending and receiving information or communication with another person. ... An illustration depicting a typical staring contest A staring contest is a competitive game in which two people stare into each others eyes and attempt to maintain eye contact for a longer period of time than their opponent. ... The concept of gaze (often also called the gaze), in analysing visual media, is one that deals with how an audience views other people presented. ... Being and Nothingness: A Phenomenological Essay on Ontology (1943) is a philosophical treatise by Jean-Paul Sartre that is regarded as the beginning of the growth of existentialism in the 20th century. ... Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (June 21, 1905 – April 15, 1980), normally known simply as Jean-Paul Sartre (pronounced: ), was a French existentialist philosopher and pioneer, dramatist and screenwriter, novelist and critic. ...

External links

• "Credibility, Respect, and Power: Sending the Right Nonverbal Signals" by Debra Stein
• "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
• "Eye Direction and Lying" Eye Movement and Direction and How it Can Reveal the Truth or a Lie
• Nonverbal Dictionary