What Is Eye Contact?

While certain nonverbal behaviors, particularly facial expressions such happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, anger, and surprise are universal and cross-cultural, many are related to our cultural influences. The meaning attached to these expressions can vary drastically. Kinesics; such as facial expression, body movement, gestures vary between cultures. It is commonly accepted in the Italian culture to use hand movement, as well as body movement while speaking. The movements are much less pronounced in the Japanese, Chinese, and the Northern European cultures, which do not use nearly as many kinesics. In the United States, people believe that smiling reflects a positive aspect of our personality, openness, pleasant, outgoing personality, and

Direct eye contact shortens the distance, while no eye contact increases the distance. Here, though, other cultural influences affect whether we hold an eye contact or avoid it. In certain cultures, a lack of eye contact represents respect for the other person. In others, quite the opposite, eye contact reflects an acknowledgment of the other person, willingness to interact, openness, interest in the person. Not understanding such cultural differences can lead to many misunderstanding. As a Nursing major, I had gone on a trip with Fairfield University to Nicaragua to work on a Santa Maura Coffee farm in the Jinotega region of the country. We went there to screen all arriving, seasonal workers (most had never seen a doctor) for Diabetes, Hypertension and to provide an emergency care. What was most surprising to me, was, that none of the workers that I came in contact with, would look at me. I felt ignored, irrelevant, useless. I felt they did not want to interact with me and were probably ignoring everything I had said. I was surprised to learn later, after I complained to one of the faculty, that in their culture, it was a sign of respect. I felt relieved. Knowing this bit of information changed how I felt during my interactions with the workers, making it much more positive. Silence is another yet aspect of space. In many cultures, specifically the western cultures, United States, Northern Europe, silence make us uncomfortable. People become nervous when silence falls during the conversation; In other cultures, silence is viewed very differently. Especially in Eastern cultures where silence is a form of reflection, respect, and consideration for the other person. Talking non-stop is associated with lacking deeper