Eyes meet, hands greet: The art of timing in social interactions

Perception. 2024 Jan 3:3010066231223440. doi: 10.1177/03010066231223440. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTShaking hands is a fundamental form of social interaction. The current study used high-definition cameras during a university graduation ceremony to examine the temporal sequencing of eye contact and shaking hands. Analyses revealed that mutual gaze always preceded shaking hands. A follow up investigation manipulated gaze when shaking hands, and found that participants take significantly longer to accept a handshake when an outstretched hand precedes eye contact. These findings demonstrate that the timing between a person's gaze and their offer to shake hands is critical to how their action is interpreted.PMID:38173337 | DOI:10.1177/03010066231223440

Source: Perception - January 4, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Alan Kingstone Esther Walker Shahrazad Amin Walter F Bischof Source Type: research