Science confirms: Humans truly communicate through eye contact.

A new study provides scientific evidence that humans are capable of recognizing and distinguishing intentional eye contact from involuntary eye movements.

Eye contact has long been considered one of the most effective nonverbal communication tools for humans. However, exactly how the brain processes visual information from another person's eyes remains an unanswered question. - Image: AI

This new research on eye contact opens up deeper insights into the brain's social recognition system.

In a study published in the journal Media Psychology , a research team led by Professor Jelena Ristic from McGill University (Canada) used video recordings of participants' eye movements, clearly distinguishing between intentional and reflexive eye movements.

The results showed that observers could accurately distinguish between these two types of movements, even though they appeared almost identical. Even signals like micromovements, which are difficult for the naked eye to perceive, could be analyzed by the brain to determine the "intention" of the person being observed.

A key finding of the study is that the brain responds more quickly to actively communicating eye contact, even with a difference of only a few thousandths of a second. This suggests that eye contact is not simply a reflection of direction, but is also decoded by the central nervous system as a form of social message, potentially equivalent to speech or gestures.

"We discovered that humans not only track eye movements to locate objects, but also perceive the social intent behind that behavior," Professor Ristic said.

Despite being able to distinguish intentional eye movements, observers showed no difference in reaction speed when asked to locate the object the gaze was directed at, regardless of whether the movement was intentional or reflexive.

This suggests that identifying "intention" is only the first step; the ability to fully understand the specific content in eye contact may require more factors, such as context, facial expressions, or supporting language.

According to the research team, these findings could play a crucial role in better understanding the mechanisms of the social identity system in humans, particularly in groups with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

"We wanted to find out why some people can't process social cues like eye contact well; perhaps their nervous systems don't decode these nonverbal signals the same way as normal people," Professor Ristic shared.

This study once again confirms that eye contact is a key element in social interaction. Understanding and deciphering eye contact can not only improve communication but also aid in the diagnosis and intervention of social cognitive disorders.

However, like all forms of communication, eye contact is inseparable from context. A glance can convey a message of help, a reminder, or even deception, something that further research continues to explore .

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MINH HAI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khoa-hoc-xac-nhan-con-nguoi-that-su-giao-tiep-bang-anh-mat-20250506160936753.htm