6 Reasons Why Communicating Women Look Men in the Eyes

According to Research, women make more eye contact than men do.

Why should this be so? Given below are just a few of the possible reasons why:

Information Gathering

Since, women are often discarded from informative interactions with men, and men have a tendency to use the stone face to cover their feelings, women must be more attentive for the period of interactions so as to glean as much as they can.

They are often “checking in” with men for the suitability of their behavior. In one study, men and women were asked to suppress their feelings.

Interestingly, given these instructions, women looked more at their informal partner, but men looked less. The women were trying to perceive from the men’s reactions whether their emotions had leaked out.

Perhaps women have more reason to be “vigilant” when concealing or rejecting their true emotions.

Observation in Group Interactions

If ever there are group meetings, as the speaker is talking, you can monitor the women at the table glancing around the room, checking others’ facial expressions, and using eye contact and gaze behavior to collect information and gain a read on the group. This behavior is not as usual with men in a group-meeting setting.

Connection

Women are other-oriented. They seem more interested in affiliation, bonding, acceptance, and social maintenance. As a result, they look more.

Familiarity

Familiarity is vital for women, and making eye contact is one way a woman tries to get close. Imagine a couple out for their anniversary dinner, looking into each other’s eyes. In conversation with people they like, women have a tendency to increase their looking while talking.

Sincerity/Deception

Women aspire to take a read on the genuineness of their interlocutor. The mother who admonishes her child, “Look at me when I’m talking to you.”

She would be seeking out cues of lying such as averted or dejected eyes. Now visualize a wife who believes her husband is cheating on her.

When she asks him why he came home so late, he looks away. She infers from his eye behavior that her suspicions are true.

Continual Feedback

Women self-monitor. They look to the other person’s expression for validation: Is my message okay? Does he understand? Does she approve? They make eye contact to observe if the other person likes what they are saying: “He just grimaced. I’d better change my message.” This kind of scrutiny gives them a chance to self-assess and edit their message.