KINESICS - Gaze behaviour

KINESICS - Gaze behaviour

Real process of communication gets established when people make eye to eye with other individuals. This is known as gaze behaviour and its important features are:

(a) Some people can make you feel comfortable when you are conversing with them by their gaze behaviour.
(b) Some people can make you feel ill at ease with their gaze behaviour when conversing with you.
(c) When a person is not maintaining eye contact and the duration of eye contact is less than one-third of the time, they arouse a feeling of trustworthiness in them as they seem to be holding back information and are not honest or forthright.
(d) When the gaze continues for more than two-thirds of the time, it can imply one of the followings:
 If the gaze leads to dilated eye pupils, it means the other person finds you interesting
 If the gaze leads to contracted eye pupils, it means the other person is hostile to you.
(e) Gazing helps to build rapport with colleagues, subordinates and bosses. If gazing continues for more than two-thirds of the total time, it leads to positive results. If a person continues gazing for over two-thirds of the time with the boss, he can win his confidence.
(f) A nervous person who holds the gaze for less than one-third of the time cannot be trusted.
(g) Some gazing is culture-centric. South Europeans gaze longer that may be offensive in some cultures. Japanese gaze at the neck rather than at the face!
(h) The geographical area on which the gaze is focused has profound meaning especially during negotiations:
 If directed at the other person‟s forehead, it creates serious atmosphere and the other person can sense you mean business. If the manager wants to reprimand his subordinate, gaze will focus on the forehead.
 If gaze does not drop below the eye level, person is able to maintain control over the interactions.
 When gaze falls below the eye levels, it leads to creation of social atmosphere.
 It the area of focus is across the eyes and below the chin of the other person, it is an intimate gaze.
(i) If salespersons can find out what is on customers‟ mind, it is valuable to them:
 If prospects‟ eyes are downcast and face is turned away, he is shutting you away.
 If prospects‟ eyes engage yours for several seconds at a time, he is weighing your proposal.
 If prospects‟ head is shifted to the same level as yours, the sale is virtually made.
(j) Gaze plays a big role in courtship:
 Signals are exchanged when they meet each other‟s gaze
 Girls use makeup to emphasize their eye display
 If a girl likes the boy, her eye pupils dilate and get properly decoded
 With partially drooped eyes, girl will hold boy‟s gaze just long enough for him to notice and then quickly turn her gaze away
 A girl can convey coy looks by blinking quickly 2 to 3 times in a short span of time
 If a girl‟s gaze is accompanied by dilation of pupils, it shows she is interested