Eye contact can be a sign of distrust or aggression. But it can also be a sign of endearment, adoration, or love. The context of the social situation determines the malevolence or benevolence of eye contact. The duration of eye contact can fluctuate depending on confidence. Someone who is less confident will not linger as long as a more confident individual. Eye contact can also be a bonding mechanism. Unfortunately, it’s this type of personal bonding that’s being threatened by electronic communication such as social media and texting.
Key Takeaways:
- Eye contact can be a friendly social signal.
- While eye contact may be a sign of connection or trust in friendly situations, it’s more likely to be associated with dominance or intimidation in adversarial situations.
- A more direct finding is that people who scored highly for negative emotions like anxiety looked at others for shorter periods of time and reported more comfortable feelings when others did not look directly at them.
“”Eye contact and smiles” can signal availability and confidence, a common-sense notion supported in studies by psychologist Monica Moore.”