It is a false that making direct eye contact with a driver who appears to be agitated will help avoid confrontation.
This is because most primate including humans intimidates others by using threatening gestures, stares and poses.
FURTHER EXPLANATION
In this regard primatologists considered this behavior or this use of body language as agonistic displays. It is advisable not to make direct contact with a driver who appears to be agitated because the driver would see this act as dominance and this will lead to confrontation instead of avoiding it.
It will only escalate the tension and this can make the driver to look more aggressive.
When two people look into each other’s face at the same time, they are making a non-verbal communication. This has a very big influence on human social behavior. Eye contact deals with the use of eye to communication emotions and intentions.
Eye contact was first used in the mid-1960s and originated from the west. It was used to describe the act as a significant sign of trust, confidence and social communication. Though, societies with religious and cultural differences see the meaning of eye contact differently. But in most society’s eye contact means emotional communication. In flirting, eye contact is also seen as an important element.
KEYWORDS
- eye contact
- verbal and non-verbal communication
- agonistic
- communication