The eye contact smile: The effects of sending and receiving a direct gaze

Eye contact often elicits a smiling response. We investigated whether an individual’s awareness that the recipient perceives their direct gaze during eye has influence on this Participants wore glasses with either clear or dark lenses (preventing other person from seeing eyes). Measurements of electromyographic activity zygomatic and periocular muscle regions showed responses were greater to other’s versus averted gaze. The participants’ own direction had also effect, effect was modified by visibility eyes. Zygomatic when participants aware eyes visible. Thus, sending another plays role in In addition, self-evaluated level social anxiety positively correlated magnitude person’s