Observing the person who is speaking or being observed while speaking is generally considered an expression of interest to the person and the content of their speech. Many parents teach this practice to their children from an early age. Talking can be considered rude. Some parents use eye contact to show their children that they don’t like what they do.
Another connotation often associated with lack of visual exchange is shyness, guilt, and lying. You can watch movies about an election campaign, as communication specialists guide their candidates to make their speeches by looking at the camera, as if they were looking directly at the camera. The voter’s eyes. We maintain more eye contact with acquaintances than strangers. In fact, if someone looks at us for a long time, we’ll feel uncomfortable.
- Eye contact between individuals is related to the degree of intimacy that exists between them and the confidentiality of the subject to be addressed.
A recent study published in the journal Psychological Science by F. Chen of the University of Freiburg offers a reflection on this topic, imagines a conversation in which one person tries to convince the other to take a position on a subject he has already approved before. Eye contact will facilitate this argument. Although one participant is more convinced and the other less convinced, the affinity between the two will be enhanced by eye contact. There is greater receptivity when participants already agree with the caller’s opinion.
Now imagine that one’s argument is contrary to that of the other. The look of trust becomes a look of domination and intimidation. The partners are on both sides, using replicas. A distracted look can be a way to ease tension and make discussion more friendly. It is a sign of nobility to show that we are not going to maintain our position at all costs or use absurd tactics to win the debate. Skeptical listeners and those with different beliefs are less likely to change their minds.
The study published in the journal Psychological Science concludes that, in the context of persuasion, the connection between eyes facilitates the debate with someone who is inclined to accept our arguments and hinders when the person has an opinion contrary to ours, as Chen says: “Visual contact is a primitive mechanism, capable of generating a series of unconscious physiological changes that greatly affect our disposition”.