Eye contact occurs when "two people look at each other's eyes at the same time."
In human beings, eye contact is a form of nonverbal communication and is thought to have a large influence on social behavior. Coined in the early to mid-1960s, the term has come in the West to often define the act as a meaningful and important sign of confidence and social communication. The customs and significance of eye contact vary widely between cultures, with religious and social differences often altering its meaning greatly.
The study of eye contact is sometimes known as oculesics.
Read more about Eye Contact: Social Meanings of Eye Contact, The Effectiveness of Eye Contact, Cultural Differences, Eye Aversion and Mental Processing, Difficulty With Eye Contact, Between Species
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