How is eye contact connected to empathy?
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Eye contact plays a crucial role in the connection between empathy and social interactions. Studies have shown that individuals tend to exhibit greater empathy when they spend more time looking at the eyes and faces of others. The ability to accurately infer others' feelings, known as empathic accuracy, is linked to the eye region. Furthermore, eye gaze patterns can signal empathy and social engagement to others. However, the relationship between eye contact and empathy is complex, as altering eye contact in teletherapy sessions did not necessarily increase perceptions of empathy. Overall, eye contact serves as a significant nonverbal cue that influences the perception and expression of empathy in social interactions.
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| Eye contact is not significantly linked to empathic accuracy but may signal empathy and social engagement, as per the study on eye gazing during emotional autobiographical stories. | |
14 Sep 2015 | Eye contact is linked to empathy as shown by increased gaze to the eye region when viewing sad expressions, indicating a connection between empathic responses and eye-gaze patterns. |
| Eye contact is linked to empathy as clients in teletherapy sessions showed increased empathy perception when looking at therapists' eyes and faces, even when eye contact was altered. | |
1 Citations | Eye contact is positively related to empathy, as found in the study. However, inducing one behavior did not affect the other, suggesting complex and independent relations between visual attention and empathy. |
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