Eye contact constitutes a very effective means of communication, being relevant in practically all communicative contexts, except when this is not possible. It is important, for example, in job interviews, when socializing with strangers, or when showing intense emotions of happiness, anger or fear.
There are different types of eye contact, each of them having a different meaning. Through eye contact, emotions and thoughts can be exchanged, often supporting verbal language, and promoting the connection between the sender and the receiver. In Psychology-Online we explain the ins and outs of eye contact in psychology, types and meaning each.
What is eye contact
Eye contact is understood to be the situation in which the gazes of two people are fixed on each other’s eyes. This is a really powerful means of communication, being a clear case of .
This eye contact allows us interpret other people’s emotions, as well as transmitting their own. For example, if we see someone with a congested face and a frown, her gaze probably denotes large doses of anger or annoyance. In this way, a connection is established between their gaze and ours, making this anger much easier for us to interpret and even know its degree or intensity. For this reason, eye contact is considered so important as a source of emotional information.
Importance of eye contact
The fact that eye contact acquires so much relevance at a communicative level is not a mere coincidence, as it allows many interactions between receiver and sender. It is very important when carrying out one or in the.
It is also necessary to talk about the relevance of eye contact as almost requirement for communication to begin. Well, normally when we address or want to address someone, the first thing we unconsciously do is usually look them directly in the eyes, thus capturing their attention and giving them the signal that we want to communicate something to them.
Eye contact is also relevant when establish and respect speaking timesWell, if another person who was talking to us suddenly stops talking and looks at us, he is probably waiting for our intervention.
In addition, different types of eye contact must be distinguished, from the most intense and prolonged, the inquisitive or, on the contrary, the absence of eye contact or fleeting glances. We will see all this in the next section.
Types of views in psychology
There are different ways of looking at others. Now we discuss some examples and their usual meaning. However, it should be added that the meaning of a look is sometimes difficult to catalog, as it depends on many personal and contextual factors, as well as the person who interprets it.
The types of views in psychology and their meaning are the following:
- Intense and prolonged look: Prolonged eye contact denotes attention to what the interlocutor wants to convey or to his or her actions. It is usually accompanied by a slight raising of the eyebrows. However, if this look is too insistent or aggressive, it may be a defiant look.
- Elusive look: What does it mean to avoid eye contact? If a person avoids looking another person in the eye it is usually because they feel threatened, insecure, or embarrassed, for some reason. Looking away in psychology means insecurity or shame.
- Squinted eyes: If a person looks at us with half-closed eyes, it is usually because they are defensive, either distrustful of us, or expecting an attack of some kind.
- Excessive flashing: This action is usually due to a high level of nerves, denoting restlessness, embarrassment or it may even be due to the fact that this person feels attracted to the person with whom they communicate. If that is your case, you may find the following information about .
- Dilated pupils: Our pupils usually dilate when something is interesting to us, or we could even say fascinating. This usually occurs when there is surprise or genuine interest in the other person. Pupil dilation is a physiological reaction that occurs when a person sees something that attracts them. Another interesting physiological reaction is blushing. Find out in this article.
As you can see, there are multiple variations, which completely determine the message conveyed just with a glance. Factors such as the duration of the gaze, the direction, the intensity or the facial gestures that the gaze is accompanied by are those that essentially determine its intention and message.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Russo, N. F. (1975). Eye contact, interpersonal distance, and the equilibrium theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31(3), 497–502. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0076476
- Stephenson, G.M., Rutter, D.R., & Dore, S.R. (1973). Visual interaction and distance. British Journal of Psychology, 64(2), 251–257. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.1973.tb01349.x
- Thayer, S., & Schiff, W. (1975). Eye-Contact, Facial Expression, and the Experience of Time. The Journal of Social Psychology, 95(1), 117–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1975.9923242