Eye contact
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When eye contact is called the mutual view of two people in the eye when it is perceived by both. It is a dynamic visual event .
Eye contact is an important means of expressing body language (here: facial expressions ) and a central component of non-verbal communication . Hardly any other facial expression can convey such a multifaceted expression (the eye as a mirror of the soul ).
Eye contact can be purely non-verbal, or it can accompany the content of a conversation and be subject to the characteristics of a communication, since looks can convey a person's emotions , moods or intentions.
Eye contact in higher primates
As part of social behavior, eye contact significantly regulates interaction in the horde or society. Human nonverbal communication has similarities to that of other primates because of their common evolutionary heritage. In a very similar way, baby monkeys and human babies develop certain communicative gestures that also include gaze behavior. With humans and animals, looks as a threatening stare belong on the one hand to the "repertoire of aggressive behavior" (Eibl-Eibesfeldt), of threatening behavior, on the other hand to sexual behavior, which is why the interpretation of the look is essential. It can be observed that the eyelids (opening, blinking ) and the pupil size change. Furthermore, for example, the eye movement and the duration of eye contact can be observed. The line of sight is recognized by the whites of the eyes ( sclera ). The sclera is about three times larger in humans than in the more than 200 species of non-human primates, which means that the line of sight can be seen much better.
In the human child, the social smile represents a milestone in their emotional and social development and is usually linked to eye contact. Avoiding eye contact can indicate a social phobia , personality disorder, or developmental disorder (e.g., autism ).
Eye contacts as a transmitter of important information
Eye contact is usually made during greetings, conversations, and actions taken together, or actions that are mutually important. An unrequited, evasive or empty look is often perceived as negative (disinterest, disparagement) or even shyness; this does not apply if the recipient is aware of the circumstances surrounding the communicator. Eye contacts are of great importance when conveying statements such as B. aggression , sadness , anger , fear , love and pleading of innocence .
Friedrich Wilhelm Barfuss , author of the book Popular Textbook of Optics , made the following claim:
“ The view is the window to strength or weakness or to the intelligence of a person. Only an intelligent person can correctly apply the various feelings that lie in looks, knows in which situations which look must be used. I don't want to appear arrogant or praise myself, but I've always had the right eye for certain situations. "
Information that is transmitted through eye contact is perceived more intensely than information without it (cf. attention ). The more frequently or longer the eye contact, the more effectively the message will be received by the recipient.
Duration of eye contact
The more important a statement or an action is for the sender, the longer the eye contact lasts and the more important it is for conveying the message. Apart from that, eye contact can also exist if the sender and recipient are very interested in communication.
It is by no means the case that two people constantly look into each other's eyes during a conversation. The sender keeps looking past the receiver. Establishing eye contact signals to the communicant that the recipient wants attention or changes to the recipient role after a speech.
It is often difficult to find the right length of eye contact. Too little contact can convey disinterest, disregard / disregard, insecurity, embarrassment, shyness or lies . On the other hand, very intensive eye contact involves particularly significant communication from the sender's point of view.
The duration of the eye contact can have a positive meaning (conveying sympathy , the importance of the message , the importance of the conversation partner, etc.) or a negative meaning (e.g. dominance , threat , challenge), questioning, approving or rejecting.
Long focused reputation without any other communication is perceived by the receiver often unpleasant, rude and / or derogatory and is called Gaze ( Stielaugen called). The stare would be an increase.
A British study determined the preferred gaze duration from the perspective of the respected test subjects as 3.3 seconds (Preferred Gaze Duration (PGD)). The majority preferred eye contact of 2 to 5 seconds duration as pleasant, less than 1 second and over 9 seconds duration was perceived by everyone as unpleasant. These durations are independent of the emotions that arise. However, older men like to have prolonged eye contact with women.
Frequency of eye contact
Frequent eye movements can mean a pattern or indicate uncertainty or nervousness on the part of the sender. Blinking can convey sympathy or nervousness. The quick blinking of the eye often conveys nervousness or insecurity, while the slow blinking (sometimes with one eye) is often associated with a smile and conveys sympathy , especially when greeting the eye but also when winking. The latter is a common facial expression in Europe, especially when flirting . The wink can be uncomfortable for the recipient if both do not know each other well enough or if one of the parties does not want to get closer (see partner choice ).
Cultural differences in eye contact
The information conveyed through eye contact can be perceived differently by people from different cultures . So z. In Western cultures, for example, direct eye contact is seen as trust-building and avoiding it as a sign of insincerity. In non-Western cultures U. other conventions. In contrast, direct eye contact in China or Japan is often perceived as offensive and therefore avoided.
Word environment
The moment in the sense of the present or in the sense of a short period of time has also found its way into language. Examples: The interjection “One moment!” Stands for the request for patience , which applies to a communication partner. The phrase "in the moment" stands for a present situation . “Every moment” means that an event is imminent or is practically taking place continuously. “Take a look at someone” means that a person has someone in view because they are interested in them.
An evil look is the supposed occupation of a curse or a spell solely through eye contact by a witch or a sorcerer or magician .
A conversation between two people is called a "one-to-one conversation" and not a "four-ear conversation", which emphasizes the importance of eye contact in this form of conversation. Negotiating on an "equal footing" means that the interlocutors see each other as equals.
philosophy
In Being and Nothing , Jean-Paul Sartre describes gazing as a one-sided form of possession of the other, but also reciprocally as objectivation , as a self-reflective construction of the self. In eye contact, the other is first created as being, so to speak, born in his nakedness. Sartre relates this form of development to the basis of the ego ( fondement de moi ). So man recognizes himself in the other. This idea was taken up by psychology, see → mirror stage , mirroring and the theory of Donald W. Winnicott that the mother's eye contact is to be understood as a preliminary stage of the mirror stage .
Others
When strangers meet, eye contact provides the first important information ( first impression ).
The eye greeting is a brief eye contact that is only used for greeting. When getting to know someone who intends to be in a relationship , first expressive eye contact is of considerable importance.
A well-known ( children's ) game is the look duel , where you deliberately look each other in the eye for a long time until one of them looks away or starts laughing .
Autistic people are often unable to process verbal and non-verbal messages at the same time in a conversation . Typically, this means that autistic people look less at their counterpart, the more intensively they deal with the content of the conversation. This can easily lead to confusion for the interlocutor or be misinterpreted as an expression of embarrassment or disinterest.
During presentations, sales talks or courses, eye contact with the audience increases their attention and interest (see AIDA model ).
literature
- Michael Tomasello : Why we cooperate. Suhrkamp Verlag Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-518-26036-4 , (Original title: Why We Cooperate)
- Hilarion G. Petzold : Psychotherapy & Baby Research . Volume 2: The power of loving looks. Infant observations revolutionize psychotherapy . Junfermann, Paderborn 1995, ISBN 3-87387-122-X , ( Innovative Psychotherapy and Human Sciences 56).
Web links
- Direct eye contact makes you happy. In: science.orf.at
Individual evidence
- ↑ Gestures - Humans and baby monkeys communicate similarly. In: spiegel.de of July 7, 2013, accessed on November 17, 2018
- ↑ Michael Tomasello : Why we cooperate. Suhrkamp Verlag Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-518-26036-4 , (Original title: Why We Cooperate), p. 65
- ↑ When eye contact becomes uncomfortable. In: orf.at , July 14, 2016, accessed July 14, 2016.
- ↑ Pupil dilation as an index of preferred mutual gaze duration. In: Royal Society Open Science , July 6, 2016, accessed July 14, 2016.
- ^ Sartre, Jean-Paul : L'être et le néant . Essai d'ontologie phenoménologique. [1943] Gallimard tel, 2007, ISBN 978-2-07-029388-9 , chap. 3, para. 1, p. 404 f.