1992 Volume 31 Issue 3 Pages 231-239
Predictions concerning the formation of impressions on the basis of the visual behavior of an observed person were tested in two experiments. Observers were shown a video recording of a conversation between two persons in which person looked at his or her partner or not depending upon the experimental conditions. In Experiment 1, selected stimulus dimensions of interpersonal gazing-amount of gaze, sexual composition of the interacting pair-were examined for their impact on the observer's evaluations. It was found that observer's evaluations with regard to sincerity, anxiety, and relaxation of a gaze pair were differentially affected by the degree of eye contact between the gaze pair. Experiment 2 examined whether observers would form different perceptions of the same visual dominance ratio according to the sex combination of the gaze pair. Observers viewed videotapes of a person whose visual behavior was systematically varied, apparently conversing with another person of the opposite sex. Male and female stimulus persons displayed three different visual dominance ratios: 60%/40%, 40%/60%, 20%/80%. When female stimulus persons of a gaze pair exhibited the high and moderate look-speak to look-listen ratio they tended to be rated by observers as more dominant than when they exhibited the low ratio. When male stimulus persons of a gaze pair exhibited the moderate ratio they tended to be evaluated as more dominant than when they displayed the high visual dominance ratio. When female stimulus persons of a gaze pair exhibited the high visual dominance ratio they were evaluated as dominant. However, when male stimulus persons of a gaze pair exhibited the high ratio they were evaluated as submissive.
