Abstract
In interpersonal communication, verbal and nonverbal behaviors provide important messages that generate psychological meanings to others. An eye-tracking device was used to examine customers' impression formation, based on the appearance of salespeople in face-to-face, over-the-counter encounters, by focusing on the customers' visual attention. Over-the-counter sales in Japan and other countries were emulated with Japanese and international participants. Results indicated that duration and frequency of customers' eye fixations were highest to the faces of salespersons, regardless of whether salespersons were groomed or not groomed. The duration and frequency of customers' eye fixations were highest to salespersons' faces, when the salespersons were groomed, compared to when they were not groomed, suggesting that eyes and facial expressions are more important than the evaluation of impressions. When salespersons were not groomed, the customers' increasingly gazed at the salespersons' body and salespersons' postures and hand positions were rated high in impression formation. The results indicate that the face is capable of transmitting nonverbal messages that are unaffected by context, whereas the body transmits context-dependent nonverbal messages. It is suggested that optimizing the posture and clothing of cosmetic salespeople could attract customers' eyes to the merchandise, resulting in increased sales.
