Non-verbal communication is a fundamental skill of effective human contact and an essential component of interaction. Violation of the rules of eye contact is chosen for the aims of the project. One of the more frequent violations of this rule is the breach of the duration or intensity of the gaze. I have chosen lack of contact as a more unusual way of violating this rule. College study involves doing numerous group projects and presenting them.
As the keynote speaker, I broke the rules of eye contact during the group work presentation. I made eye contact with the audience, which gave me confidence and engaged the audience. However, the purpose of the task was exactly the group work; at the same time, I ignored any eye contact with other people from my group, giving attention only to the lecturer and slides. My team, who made a lot of effort for the project, repeatedly tried to make eye contact more and more by looking in my direction.
At the same time, I completely ignored these signs, and the reaction was palpable immediately after the presentation was over. Introducing this disruption made the other group members feel unwanted, alienated, and unimportant in this project. Other participants began to feel unappreciated, and the disruptive behavior completely undermined their sense of contribution to the work, potentially affecting their grades. Non-verbal impairment negatively impacted overall performance. It underscores the importance of inclusive eye contact, recognizing and valuing the contributions of all team members, and developing a sense of cooperation in the academic environment.
Non-verbal communication is critical in establishing and maintaining contact throughout the interaction process. The eye contact rule is significant and can hardly be overestimated. Eye contact is one of our most basic innate instincts. In most cultures, the eyes are the first object people focus on when they meet (Vrij et al., 2019). Therefore, eye contact is the first way to make a connection, and of all body language, eye contact reveals feelings and emotions best. One reason is that people respond unconsciously to stimuli. Therefore, they cannot be controlled or manipulated.
Eye contact is crucial, especially when it comes to determining the intentions of others. One can understand the interlocutor’s interest in the conversation, thoughts, mood, and attitude through gaze (Vrij et al., 2019). Often, the absence of eye contact in dialogue can lead to the extinction of communication between people and even the deterioration of relations. Moreover, the rule of eye contact reveals the features of culture, particularly emphasizing the regulation of its duration and intensity. In our culture, maintaining a direct and constant gaze at the interlocutor during a conversation is considered polite and a sign of respect. It can signal interest and active listening, which are foremost things in a dialogue (Vrij et al., 2019). Furthermore, the gaze is vital in establishing relationships and building emotional engagement in our culture.
Visual contact is correspondingly a means of mutual regulation of the process of conversation and is complemented by other social norms. It must be appropriate to the context and observe certain norms for communication to be comfortable and practical (Vrij et al., 2019). It is known from everyday communication experience that visual contact is easily maintained when discussing pleasant topics, but interlocutors usually avoid it when it comes to confusing or unpleasant issues.
Some people find it difficult to make direct visual contact and avoid it. Some other individuals are afraid of expressing an idea or emotion and discussing specific topics, averting their eyes as soon as something like that appears on the horizon. If a person has problems with visual contact, avoids it, shifts his gaze from object to object, or does not take his eyes off the person she is talking to, it causes tension (Vrijet al., 2019). The generally accepted norm suggests that visual contact should be brief and occasional. People usually maintain visual contact for a few seconds and then look elsewhere or blink to break the contact. The intensity of the visual contact is likewise an issue of the matter. Looking extra intensely may be perceived as intrusive, aggressive, or unpleasant.
It is important to remember that visual contact is an interactive process between two personalities. Suppose specific problems with visual contact do not occur with everyone but only with one person. In that case, it makes sense to consider them as a potential source of information about that person (Vrij et al., 2019). Visual contact depends on the context and the relationship between people.
For example, moderate and respectful visual contact is usually expected in a professional setting, allowing one to connect with the person they are talking to but not devolving into intrusiveness (Vrij et al., 2019). Visual contact can be more intense and prolonged in intimate relationships, such as romantic or close friendships. The visual contact rules help establish interaction boundaries and protect each participant’s sense of comfort in the communication. It is essential to be attentive to the interlocutor and consider the context to use visual contact following accepted norms and to create a pleasant atmosphere.
Reference
Vrij, A., Hartwig, M., & Granhag, P. A. (2019). Reading lies: Nonverbal communication and deception. Annual review of psychology, 70, 295-317.