GROUP-A

TEAM-7

OCULESICS
(EYE EXPRESSIONS)
 What is OCULESICS?
• The study of eye behavior is called oculesics,
and sometimes it is considered a subset of
kinesic communication.
• The most important aspect of oculesics is eye
contact that opens communication channels,
signals availability for interaction, listening,
immediacy, and intimacy.
• The absence of eye contact engenders
negative attributions including rudeness,
deceptiveness, insincerity, unfriendliness, and
timidity.
• Eye contact increases interpersonal influence
and is a powerful behavior when speaking.
DIMENSIONS OF OCULESICS

• EYE MOVEMENTS
• EYE CONTACT
• PUPIL DILATION
• GAZE DIRECTION
 EYE MOVEMENTS
• Eye
Movement occurs
voluntarily or
involuntarily. It can
include changing eye
direction, changing
focus, or following
objects with the eyes.
 EYE CONTACTS
• The point of proper eye contact is that it conveys
specific messages in a conversation or
presentation. When speaking, eye contact
projects an image of professionalism. It also
shows that you have confidence in yourself and
what you say. Your eyes strengthen your
message when you have passion and enthusiasm
for your company, products or services. Eye
contact also shows respect for the other person,
whether you speak or listen.
• International Considerations
• While eye contact is a universal
nonverbal communication method, its
meaning can vary across cultures. In
Western Europe, I contact carries a
similar meaning as it does in the U.S.,
as it is viewed as polite. In Asia, Africa
and Latin America, though, prolonged
eye contact is generally regarded as
disrespectful or challenging. Thus, if
you do business with people from those
cultures, it is important to consider this
difference in the field. Brief eye contact
is common, but it is important not to
stare or lock eyes for too long.
 PUPIL DILATION
• Pupillary response is change
in the size of the pupil,
voluntarily or involuntarily.
This change happens at the
appearance of real or
perceived new objects of
focus, and even at the real
or perceived indication of
such appearances
 GAZE DIRECTION
• Gazing deals with
communicating and
feeling intense desire
with the eye,
voluntarily or
involuntarily
 2 DIMENSIONS OF EYE
CONTACT

•VOLUNTARY
•INVOLUNTARY
VOLUNTARY DIMENSION OF
EYE CONTACT
• Another interesting aspect about eye contact is
its voluntary and involuntary dimensions. In
voluntary dimension, you maintain eye contact
with an intention and purpose. It can have such
communicative functions as to indicate
friendliness, to dominate, to show respect, to
evince interest, and to give comfort.
 EXAMPLES
• Expressively, while we maintain eye contact with the one we like, we avoid eye contact
with strangers.
• That is why, even in physically close situations as while traveling in crowded local trains
we look up instead of facing a stranger eye to eye.
• However, with a known acquaintance if we avoid eye contact, it implies lack of interest.
• If you observe children, you will note that they are very sensitive towards eye contact.
Even a baby on the lap of her mother will not let her mother’s attention deviate from her.
If the baby sees that her mother is watching television or turning her face away to talk to
another, then she will even go to the extent of pulling the chin of the mother and make her
maintain eye contact with her.
• It is also interesting to note how this news readers on television create the illusion that
they maintain eye contact with the viewers, while actually, they look at the news scrolled
on the screen in front of them. Similarly, goods speakers, by appropriate modulation of
their eye contact, manage to give the feel of looking at all the audience
 INVOLUNTARY DIMENSION
OF EYE CONTACT
• The risky part of eye contact is its involuntary dimensions, which involves
pupil dilation. Individuals’ pupil dilates when they experience attraction for
something or somebody. When the pupils dilate, the eyes appear enlarged
in size. Research indicates that when the pupils dilate it shows that the
individual is interested in somebody and at the same time, the individual
too looks attractive due to the dilation. The interest may be on a food item,
dress material, or a person.

• Another interesting aspect of involuntary dimension is that it also involves

pupil contraction. When the pupil contracts, it indicates boredom or lack of
interest
Manipulative sellers, note pupil dilation/contraction
and perceive the customer’s interest and increase the
price accordingly. Good business people use this
aspect to attract and retain their clients.
Nevertheless, if you develop the habit of observing
the dilation and contraction of pupils of your
audience and learn to modify appropriately your
communication message, then you will become
effective both at professional and interpersonal
levels
 VARIETIES OF EYE
CONTACT
Direct Eye Contact
• This is generally regarded as a sign of truthfulness when speaking;
however, practiced liars know this and will fake the signal. When
listening, eyes which stay focused on the speaker’s eyes tend to
indicate interested attention, which is normally a sign of attraction
to the person and/or the subject.
 Widening Eyes
• Widening the eyes generally signals interest in something or
someone and often invites positive response. Widened eyes with
raised eyebrows can otherwise be due to shock, but aside from
this, widening eyes represents an opening and welcoming
expression.
Narrowing Eyes
People who have narrow eyes, or who narrow their eyes, are seen as
dominant. When the eyes are narrowed, they take on the appearance of
a visor—it looks as if the person is peering through a slit in their
helmet. They also produce other revealing signs of dominance, like the
lowering of the eyebrows, the narrow, resolute set of the mouth, and the
absence of smiling
 TYPES OF GAZEs
• Natural Gaze
This gaze usually last within 5 to 10 seconds. We use it when we talk to
another person in an excited, enthusiastic, and confident manner. This is
natural in a one-to-one conversation. The five-second period makes listeners
feel comfortable.
Mutual Gaze
This is the percentage of time that two interactors look at each other in the
region of the faceOpens in new window. Mutual gaze gives a feeling of
intimacy, mutual interaction, and attentiveness. Mutual gaze narrows the
physical gap between us like no other facial cue.
Example- In a business firm, if the boss and a subordinate happen to look at each other at the same
time, it is usually the subordinate who breaks off first. Veiled challenges to the boss can, however,
be delivered through the eyes. For example, instead of openly disagreeing with the boss, a
subordinate can simply engage him in a subtle bout of ‘ocular arm-wrestling’, holding his gaze for
slightly longer than he would normally do. If carefully timed, this can have the desired effect,
without appearing to be disrespectful

• Gaze Down
A person may bow or tilt his head forward so that the eyes face the ground or floor.
The eyeballs will rotate in their sockets to a downward position. The gaze down
gestureOpens in new window may convey a defeated attitude. It may also reflect
guilt, shame, or submissiveness, as when distorting the truth or telling a lie.
Example= Gazing down while or shortly after stating ‘I am innocent’, for example,
shows that a speaker may not believe his or her own remarks. True statements are
normally given with a confident, face-to-face, or level gaze, which may be held
longer than three seconds

• The Concentrated Gaze

Eyelids lowered, not to conceal the eyes but to focus them on some interesting object,
is often used by artists and lovers.
 Emotions with eye summary:
The following emotions and their associated eye behaviors come from Changing Minds.
• Anxiety– wetness or moisture in the eyes
• Anger– eyes glaring and wide open
• Boredom – eyes not focused, or focused on something else
• Desire – eyes wide, dilation of pupils
• Disgust – rapid turning away of eyes
• Envy – glaring
• Fear – eyes could be wide, or looking downward (could also be closed)
• Happiness – "glittery" look to eyes, wrinkled at the sides
• Interest – intense focus, perhaps squinting
• Pity – heavy gaze to eyes, moisture in eyes
• Sadness – tears in eyes, looking downward (also possible sleepless appearance)
• Shame – eyes looking down while head is turned down
• Surprise – eyes wide open
 Some oculesic findings from
around the world
• Studies show that eye behavior shows special
patterns with mental patients, autistic children, and
persons from diverse cultures.In some countries,
doctors use the study of oculesics to test stimulation
among patients and interest levels in children who
are not as expressive verbally. While lack of eye
contact in many cultures can signal either disinterest
or respect, depending on the culture of the
individual, it may be an insight into a mental
patient's brain functions on a particular day.