Team+4+(2011SP)


 * Team 4**

=﻿Nonverbal Communication Skills= Nonverbal communication is any behavior that has meaning to us other than written or spoken word. There is a lot of emphasis put on nonverbal communication because it is the primary way we communicate fellinging and attitudes. Nonverbal communications also tend to be more convincing than verbal messages. Just look at the cliche: Actions speak louder than words.

**Eye Contact has four functions: monitoring, regulatory, expressive, and cognitive, but is each of these functions as important in all cultures?**
= Anatomy of the Eye =

Understanding the anatomy of the eye helps when watching eye movements and is what is necessary for eye contact to occur. Each eye has six extraocular muscles (EOM) that bring about the various eye movements, how eye contact is made.
 * [|Lateral rectus], (supplied by Abducens nerve)
 * [|Medial rectus], (supplied by Oculomotor nerve)
 * [|Inferior rectus], (supplied by Oculomotor nerve)
 * [|Superior rectus], (supplied by Oculomotor nerve)
 * [|Inferior oblique], (supplied by Oculomotor nerve) and
 * [|Superior oblique] (supplied by Trochlear nerve)

=**Eye Contact in Various Cultures:** = =**Meanings,Rules and Impact on Relationships** =

=Eye Contact in the U.S.A.= In an article featured on brighthub.com, the author R.H. sums up eye contact. //In the U.S. good eye contact means that you are interested in the person,or what they are saying. If one averts their eyes you are assumed to be uninterested, distracted, or lacking in confidence. The person making eye contact is thought to be confident and bold. These are considered good traits in the U.S.A.//



=Eye Contact in CHINA=

Opposite of the United States, China views eye contact as ultimately a sign of disrespect. In many day to day situations to get privacy the Chinese often go to great lengths to avoid eye contact with another person at all costs. Many look to the ground when carrying on a lengthy conversation or when meeting new people/ foreigners. They simply rely on facial expressions and voice tones to read a persons feelings. Important to the Chinese culture is having face. Their are four categories which expresses ones self. The diu mianzi, where your actions are exposed, gei mianzi, where you show respect, liu mianzi, shows your wisdom and finally jiang mianzi where one gains respect. One is to never lose face or also known as honor. Chinese use eye contact as a regulator. In chapter 7 we learned that these are non verbal messages that help to control the interaction or flow of communication between two people. In China eye contact as a regulator is a powerful cue when not wanting to establish it and avoid contact. The area around the eyes shows your emotions.



=Eye Contact in Most Asian, African and Latin American Cultures= In these cultures " extended eye contact can be taken as an affront or a challenge. . .""or as a sign of disrespect, especially in terms of a "social" or "workplace" superior. Avoiding eye contact does not imply that they are rude, uninterested, or submissive; quite the opposite, it is a sign of "being polite or reverent"(Wolfe).

=Eye Contact in Western Europe= European rules for eye contact epsecially in Spain, France, and Germany tends to be the same as that in the United States. It is polite to have eye contact with people during personal and business conversations. However, eye contact in public situations tends to have more flirtatious aspects. If a person makes eye contact in public situations it tends to mean that they are interested in the person they are looking at, so making eye contact back would acknowlede the interest.

=﻿Eye Contact in the Middle East= Eye contact is not as appropriate in the middle east and is a lot less common. A large amount of the population in the Middle east is Muslium and their religious beliefs that limit eye contact between the male and female population. Little to no eye contact is made at all between sexes for this religion. Also, in the middle east eye contact between the same gender conotates a sense of truth.

media type="youtube" key="mYQFZRGLk2w" height="349" width="560"

Eye contact is a strong tool in interpersonal communication; it not only helps us form new relationships, but nurtures them as well. Eye contact makes us **more attractive**. In a study by researchers at Dartmouth College, "43 men and women judge[d] the faces of people who either turned their gaze toward or away from the viewer, they found that women who made eye contact were rated more attractive than those who didn't". Eye contact **makes us better lovers**. The //Journal of Psychology// reported that //greater mutual gazing was found in 'strong love couples' (determined by the Rubin Love Scale) versus weaker lovers. They attributed it to more conversation, but also found that more amount of time spent in "pure gazing" with out conversation occurred in the strong love couples.//
 * Look; but don't get too close**. In a another study featured in the the //Journal of Social Psychology//, found that when interpersonal distance was manipulated it had an effect on eye contact. //The results indicated that in both seated and standing positions, the closer one came to the subject, the more it produced a reduction of eye contact and feeling of comfort.//

How do we determine who we make eye contact with? We've all been there; we're in the grocery store, at the mall or in an elevator gazing up at the numbers, rather than looking at the person not half a foot from us. A person is approaching "your space", do we look at the person and acknowledge them, or do we simply act as if they are not there? What are the rules when it comes to eye contact? How do they vary according to culture? What impact does eye contact have on relationships? Eye contact falls into "The Four Principals of Interpersonal Communication" in which it is dependent on the //Psychological, Relational, Environmental// and as we have found in our research here, //Cultural Contexts.//

"Whether you choose to look at someone or avert your gaze has an enormous impact on your relationship with that person"(Beebe,Beebe and Redmond 194).
= Are the eyes the "mirror of the soul?" = In our interpersonal communication class we discussed topics with team members in a discussion format. Since there is not a factual answer to this question, here are thoughts and opinions on the matter from Team 4. Feel free to communicate your thoughts Mrs. Davison.

===Heather: I personally think the eyes are important in communication and although they may reflect light, I am not sure they are the mirror of my soul. I lean heavily on verbal communication to get my feelings across. I am sure my eyes trigger people to understand my feeling, but I believe my verbal communications reflect my true intentions and feelings.=== ===Maria: I like to "look" at eye contact as being the beginning of a relationship with our fellow humans. Even if that only lasts a split second, just acknowledging others can be powerful and comforting. I also find that eye contact gives others the cues needed to act; whether that be to keep walking, or engage further. In referring eyes to be the "window or mirror" of the soul, this metaphor could suggest a "peek" or "glimpse" of one's being, but in order to fully know the individual, one must step inside.=== Maria, I never thought about the window or mirror as a way to peek or glimpse into ones being, but that makes a lot of sense. A lot of communication is triggered by eyes, eye movement, and eye contact. So, it could be a way to interpret someones thoughts without them saying a word especially if we are talking about an established relationship and not two strangers. Good thoughts! ~Heather ===Jennifer: I personally think that through eye contact we unconsciously read each others emotions and feelings. Each of us can provide to others our non verbal cues just by a flash of our emotional baring eyes. Our eyes are a direct mirror image of what our soul cries out to be heard. The eyes hid nothing from what our heart and soul really feels. A sad eye feels no pain. A happy eye sees no pain. Just as the eye reflects light, it to reflects our soul.===

[[image:black,and,white,photography,face,female,mirror,reflection-64898a07781698ac7d311da16306a8df_h.jpg width="237" height="121"]]
= References =

Beebe, S.A., Beebe, S.J., Redmond, M.V., __Interpersonal Communication. Relating to Others__. 5th ed. Pearson Education, Inc, Boston, 2008. 191-219.

Carpenter, Roger H.S.; //Movements of the Eyes (2nd ed.)//. Pion Ltd, London, 1988.

China: Chinese Culture, Etiquette, Customs, Manners and Protocol. [] Web.17 April 2011.

Cartoon. Eye Contact.png.http://www.wikispaces.com/file. Web.04 Apr.2011

Eye Contact. [] Web.18 Apr.2011

Eye Contact With Chinese People. Beijing Travel Tips.Web April 17 2011

Eye Muscle Pic: Human Anatomy & Physiology. []. Web. 26 April 2011

Eye Pic: AP Psycology site. [] Web. 18 March 2011.

//Four Principles of Interpersonal Communication.http://www.pstcc.edu/facstaff/dking/interpr.htm.// Class Handout. Web. 26 Feb. 2011

Goldstein, Melvin A., M. Catherine Kilroy, and David van de Voort. "GAZE AS A FUNCTION OF CONVERSATION AND DEGREE OF LOVE." //Journal off Psychology// 92.2 (1976) : 227. //Academic Search Complete.// EBSCO. Web. 23 Apr.2011

"Looking Good." //Prevention// 57.9 (2005) : 46 //Academic Search Complete.//EBSCO. Web. 23 Apr. 2011.

Patterson, Miles L. "Interpersonal Distance, Affect, and Equilibrium Theory." //Journal of Social Psychology// 101.2 (1977) :205. //Academic Search Complete.// EBSCO. Web. 23 Apr. 2011

Picture.Google Images.[|www.kaalchakra-spirituality.blogspot.com] Web.17 Apr.2011

R.H. //Making Eye Contact:What are you saying in Various Cultures?// http://www.brighthub.com/education/languages/articles/9626.aspx Web. 14 April 2011.

Scudder, Rebecca., __Eye Contact:What Does it Communicate in Various Cultures.__ 28 Jul 2009. Web. 22 April 2011.

YouTube//Soceital Views and Development of Eye Contact.//[]Web.01 May 2011