Why we break eye contact: Study finds searching for the next word while maintaining a gaze becomes too much for your brain to handle
From feeling uncomfortable to a lack of confidence and fear, there are various reasons why people avoid eye contact.
However, a new study reveals the action of averting your eyes isn't from emotion, but is because our brain can't search for the right words and focus on a person's face at the same time.
A team of Japanese researchers discovered that eye contact pulls from the same mental resources used to perform complex tasks, which is why you sometimes shift your gaze while conversing with others
A pair of researchers at Kyoto University found that maintaining eye contact and retrieving and selecting words will compete for resources.
'Although eye contact and verbal processing appear independent, people frequently avert their eyes from interlocutors during conversation. This suggests that there is interference between these processes,' the study published in the journal Cognition explains.
To uncover these results, the team instructed 26 participants to view a person's face displayed on a screen while performing a verbal task, reports Scientific American.
The digital face had their eyes gazing towards the volunteer sometimes and other occasions they averted to the side.
The verbal tasks required the study subjects to come up with a verb that could be used with a given noun - word association.
For example, if they were presented with the word 'knife' they could say 'cut'.
Or if given 'leaf', they could respond with 'fall'.
However, researches explain that this task could become more difficult for the participants in two ways.
First, it is possible that a noun may work with numerous verbs, which might make it harder for subjects to select just one.
Another difficulty was found if a noun's corresponding verbs were harder to remember.
But these obstacles gave the experts leeway to make the challenges easier and harder to get different results.
Following the experiment, the team found that those who were given more difficult nouns took longer to respond.
But, this was only found when the participant maintained eye contact with the face on the screen.
The results showed that direct eye contact only made it difficult for participants to find the right verb if the noun was challenging in the two ways they discussed.
On the other hand, researchers did not find a decrease in a participant's performance if they were given an easier noun – even while maintain eye contact.
The researchers also claimed that the interaction and interference of verbal and non-verbal channels must be considered in order to achieve a 'full understanding' of functional and dysfunctional communication.
Results of this study suggests that eye contact doesn't directly interfere with your ability to pick words, but it takes some cognitive effort to maintain.
Article Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4069188/Why-break-eye-contact-Study-finds-searching-word-maintaining-gaze-brain-handle.html
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VOCABULARY WORDS :
1. Averting = (v.) gerund or present participle: averting
turn away (one's eyes or thoughts).
2. Gaze = (v.) look steadily and intently, especially in admiration, surprise, or thought.
3. Interlocutors = (n.) a person who takes part in a dialogue or conversation.
4. Cognition= (n.) the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Why is making eye contact important? Is it important in your culture?
2. Can you learn anything about a person by making eye contact?
3. What are some situations where one should make eye contact?
4. The eyes have been said to be "the window to the soul". What do you think it means?
5. What is the difference between staring and making eye contact?
