Eye contact meme might have flaws
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Quote:
Eye Contact Increases Resistance to Persuasion
Popular belief holds that eye contact increases the success of persuasive communication, and prior research suggests that speakers who direct their gaze more toward their listeners are perceived as more persuasive. In contrast, we demonstrate that more eye contact between the listener and speaker during persuasive communication predicts less attitude change in the direction advocated. In Study 1, participants freely watched videos of speakers expressing various views on controversial sociopolitical issues. Greater direct gaze at the speaker’s eyes was associated with less attitude change in the direction advocated by the speaker. In Study 2, we instructed participants to look at either the eyes or the mouths of speakers presenting arguments counter to participants’ own attitudes. Intentionally maintaining direct eye contact led to less persuasion than did gazing at the mouth. These findings suggest that efforts at increasing eye contact may be counterproductive across a variety of persuasion contexts.
Popular belief holds that eye contact increases the success of persuasive communication, and prior research suggests that speakers who direct their gaze more toward their listeners are perceived as more persuasive. In contrast, we demonstrate that more eye contact between the listener and speaker during persuasive communication predicts less attitude change in the direction advocated. In Study 1, participants freely watched videos of speakers expressing various views on controversial sociopolitical issues. Greater direct gaze at the speaker’s eyes was associated with less attitude change in the direction advocated by the speaker. In Study 2, we instructed participants to look at either the eyes or the mouths of speakers presenting arguments counter to participants’ own attitudes. Intentionally maintaining direct eye contact led to less persuasion than did gazing at the mouth. These findings suggest that efforts at increasing eye contact may be counterproductive across a variety of persuasion contexts.
(from: http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/09/25/0956797613491968.abstract )
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“For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.”
―Carl Sagan
Edenthiel wrote:
Quote:
Eye Contact Increases Resistance to Persuasion
Popular belief holds that eye contact increases the success of persuasive communication, and prior research suggests that speakers who direct their gaze more toward their listeners are perceived as more persuasive. In contrast, we demonstrate that more eye contact between the listener and speaker during persuasive communication predicts less attitude change in the direction advocated. In Study 1, participants freely watched videos of speakers expressing various views on controversial sociopolitical issues. Greater direct gaze at the speaker’s eyes was associated with less attitude change in the direction advocated by the speaker. In Study 2, we instructed participants to look at either the eyes or the mouths of speakers presenting arguments counter to participants’ own attitudes. Intentionally maintaining direct eye contact led to less persuasion than did gazing at the mouth. These findings suggest that efforts at increasing eye contact may be counterproductive across a variety of persuasion contexts.
Popular belief holds that eye contact increases the success of persuasive communication, and prior research suggests that speakers who direct their gaze more toward their listeners are perceived as more persuasive. In contrast, we demonstrate that more eye contact between the listener and speaker during persuasive communication predicts less attitude change in the direction advocated. In Study 1, participants freely watched videos of speakers expressing various views on controversial sociopolitical issues. Greater direct gaze at the speaker’s eyes was associated with less attitude change in the direction advocated by the speaker. In Study 2, we instructed participants to look at either the eyes or the mouths of speakers presenting arguments counter to participants’ own attitudes. Intentionally maintaining direct eye contact led to less persuasion than did gazing at the mouth. These findings suggest that efforts at increasing eye contact may be counterproductive across a variety of persuasion contexts.
(from: http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/09/25/0956797613491968.abstract )
This isn't actually all that new...perhaps to "modern" science, but ancient speech teachers knew about it. Cicero (who might as well be the Jesus of speech), claimed that a rhetor (speaker) should look at a person's eyes to be confrontational, their mouth to be agreeable, their forehead to be dominant, and their chin to be submissive. Each one of those locations depends on who the audience is and what the rhetor's standing was with said audience. So new, not exactly, finally accepting old wisdom, that sounds about right.
Also not surprising if you consider the range of mammals for whom eye contact indicates dominance or aggression.
_________________
Diagnosed with:
Moderate Hearing Loss in 2002.
Autism Spectrum Disorder in August 2015.
ADHD diagnosed in July 2016
Also "probable" dyspraxia/DCD and dyslexia.
Plus a smattering of mental health problems that have now been mostly resolved.
Aristophanes wrote:
Edenthiel wrote:
[...]
This isn't actually all that new...perhaps to "modern" science, but ancient speech teachers knew about it. Cicero (who might as well be the Jesus of speech), claimed that a rhetor (speaker) should look at a person's eyes to be confrontational, their mouth to be agreeable, their forehead to be dominant, and their chin to be submissive. Each one of those locations depends on who the audience is and what the rhetor's standing was with said audience. So new, not exactly, finally accepting old wisdom, that sounds about right.
Oh, thank you for this knowledge, I did not know it and it sounds very interesting! I'll try to memorize it and hope it will come in useful at some point.
I might try it as a short experiment with someone, just to see if or how it works.

_________________
Diagnosed with Aspergers.
BSP-errors are awesome.
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