A-Z Popular Blog Top Search »
Talent
 Advertisements
Soft Skills
Design Thinking

top   »  talent   »  skills   »  soft skills   »  eye contact

Why Eye Contact Is Considered A Skill

 , updated on August 09, 2017
Eye contact is a social signal that's an important component of communication.
Humans naturally respond to eye contact and it has communication significance in every culture. The most basic effect of eye contact is that it shows that you are engaged with a conversation. People typically interpret the direction of your gaze as the direction of your attention. In the midst of conversation, glancing down or off into the distance is often interpreted as a signal that you're thinking.
People commonly describe a sense that they can read a person's thoughts or character by looking in their eyes. As such, avoiding eye contact is sometimes interpreted as an attempt to hide something. However, avoiding eye contact is also a signal that you don't feel like talking. For example, someone who is late for a meeting might avoid eye contact as they walk down a hallway to avoid initiating a conversation.
In crowded conditions such as trains, people may pretend to look at something such as a mobile device as a means of avoiding eye contact. This is a way to maintain a sense of privacy and personal space.
Overview: Eye Contact
TypeSoft Skills
DefinitionUsing eye contact to send social signals and to communicate.
ValueShowing that you're listening.
Expressing things such as emotions non-verbally.
Building rapport.
Related ConceptsActive Silence

Soft Skills

This is the complete list of articles we have written about soft skills.
Abstraction
Attention To Detail
Bias For Action
Active Silence
Aesthetics
Character Traits
Creative Thinking
Big Picture Thinking
Critical Thinking
Facilitation
Charisma
Coaching
Humor
Competitiveness
Imagination
Counterfactual Thinking
Influencing
Listening
Logic
Delegation
Personal Presence
Emotional Intelligence
Personal Skills
Empathy
Public Speaking
Eye Contact
Resilience
Self Direction
Social Intelligence
Storytelling
Time Management
Improvisation
Wit
Introspection
Work Skills
Intuition
Managing Expectations
Networking
Office Politics
Problem Framing
Reasoning
Relationship Building
Self Confidence
Showmanship
Training
More ...
If you enjoyed this page, please consider bookmarking Simplicable.
 
Cite »

Soft Skills

A list of soft skills for job descriptions and resumes.

Business Skills

A list of common business skills.

Skills vs Abilities

The difference between a skill and an ability.

Social Intelligence

A definition of social intelligence with examples.

Attention To Detail

The definition of attention to detail with examples.

Meeting Management

An overview of meeting management with examples.

Empathy

The definition of empathy with examples.

Empathy vs Sympathy

The difference between empathy and sympathy explained.

Introspection

The definition of introspection with examples.

Communication Skills

The common types of communication skill.

Top

Simplicable is a modern encyclopedia that has been updated daily since 2010.

Business Theory

A list of interesting business theories.

Knowledge Work

A definition of knowledge work with examples.

Office Politics

A list of social processes, absurdities and strategies related to office politics.

Product Development

A guide to product development.

Types Of Knowledge

The differences between types of knowledge.

Trough Of Sorrow

An overview of the trough of sorrow.

Business Models

A list of common business models.

Marketing

A list of key marketing strategies.

Competitive Advantage

A few sources of competitive advantage for businesses.

Trending

The most popular articles on Simplicable in the past day.

New Articles

Recent posts or updates on Simplicable.
Site Map
Creativity
Cultural Capital
Decision Making
Design
Design Thinking
Education
Engineering
Human Experience
Influencing
Interviews
Knowledge
Leadership
Personal Development
Personal Resilience
Problem Solving
Productivity
Professions
Science
Storytelling
Strengths
Systems Thinking
Talent
Thinking
More ...
© 2010-2023 Simplicable. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of materials found on this site, in any form, without explicit permission is prohibited.

View credits & copyrights or citation information for this page.

Home About     Privacy Policy     Cookies Terms of Use     Contact Us Search


Cookies help us deliver our services. You have choices regarding these cookies. Please visit our privacy policy, cookie policy and consent tool to learn more.


Copyright 2002-2023 Simplicable. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed or translated. Report violations here.