Nov 06 2008
The Eyes Have It
I couldn’t see their faces, but apes read as much in each other’s eyes as we do.
- Frans de Waal (1)He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. (2 Chronicles 25:2)
Besides being a preemminantly social species, we are also a visual species. Infant monkeys and infant humans alike show great interest-in and sensitivity-to faces and/or rudimentary face facsimiles. We read faces because faces reveal a wealth of information, both personal and interpersonal. In fact, “Young monkeys that have been raised alone and have never seen another monkey or even a mirror image show fear on seeing a picture of a threatening adult.” (2)
When feeling intimidated, a dog will turn its head away. As will an orangutan. In this regard, the nature of the human animal has not fallen far from the tree of which it is a fruit. Consider Exodus 3:6 -
Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
One example of the powerful influence on behavior that the “subtle” phenomenon of eyegaze can exert is manifest in a research paper titled, “Explaining Effects of Eye Gaze on Mediated Group Conversations: Amount or Synchronization?” In this psychological study the researchers found that “Subjects used gaze to regulate their equilibrium of intimacy.”(3) If looked at in a non-threatening manner, individuals feel empowered to, in this case, speak up in public. If ignored, subjects were less likely to speak. Gaze is a powerful signal, whether friendly or threatening.
Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord. (Genesis 33:15)
When a person peceives a non-threatening gaze upon them, he or she is more likely to act. When that gaze is threatening, the likelihood of activity drops. To “turn off” a threatening gaze, subjects may even adopt a position that says, “alright already, I submit to your will.”
Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown. (Numbers 22:31)
In television sitcoms I have encountered multiple times a scene in which a husband (frequently) receives “the look” from his spouse and stops what he is doing or otherwise changes his behavior. Eye gaze is a powerful signal. And we social animals heed it irregardless of our awareness of it.
Next I will explore the power of eyegaze in terms of access to information. Would you believe that a person averting his or her face is analogous to a dog tucking its tail between its legs?
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(1) de Waal, F. Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are, New York, Riverhead Books, 2005, p. 27
(2) Guthrie, S. E. Faces in the Clouds: A New Theory of Religion, Oxford University Press, New York, 1993, p. 104
(3) Vertegaal, R. & Ding, Y., “Explaining Effects of Eye Gaze on Mediated Group Conversations: Amount or Synchronization?” Proceedings of CSCW 2002 Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Work, New Orleans: ACM Press, November, 2002, p. 42
