Having direct eye contact with another person can have several effects on the human brain.
- Oxytocin levels increase in real-time in males with or without autism.(Auyeung, et al., 2015)
- Despite popular belief, eye contact actually decreases success of persuasive communication, whereas viewing the mouth of the speaker increases persuasion. This is due to the fact that direct eye contact affects the brain region responsible for potential threats.(Chen, et al., 2013, pp. 2254-2255)
- Cultural influence plays a decent role in determining how one perceives eye contact and the emotions along with it, and whether or not they are actually making eye contact.(Uono, Heitanen, 2015)