Eye reading can give you surprisingly useful clues about others, partly because pupil size is largely controlled automatically rather than consciously. The power of the eyes is undeniable. There are sad eyes, happy eyes, angry eyes, piercing eyes, and flirtatious eyes.
The ability to read eyes seems to be present in all of us, although it is not always clear exactly how we do it. When we meet someone for the first time, we often make a series of quick judgments based on what we see in their eyes.
People’s mood changes are often reflected in the expression of their eyes. As Eckhard Hess, a biopsychologist at the University of Chicago, observed, pupil size can be affected by emotion. When someone is excited or strongly interested in something, their pupils may become noticeably larger.
Similarly, when someone is angry, uncomfortable, or experiencing another negative emotion, their pupils may constrict.
Hess explored this by showing people different kinds of images and observing changes in pupil size. When participants saw images they found appealing or emotionally engaging, their pupils tended to enlarge. When they saw images that were unpleasant or unappealing, their pupils tended to become smaller.
In another study, people were asked to look at pleasant pictures, and their pupils tended to enlarge. When they looked at unpleasant or distressing images, their pupils tended to constrict.
In a different study, Hess showed people two sets of similar photos. In one set, the pupils had been made larger. In the other set, the pupils had been reduced. People often preferred the photos with enlarged pupils, although they could not explain what made the difference.
Hess’s discoveries were later applied in advertising and product photography. In some cases, photos of models were altered to make the pupil area look larger, which was believed to make the images more appealing and potentially increase interest in products such as cosmetics, clothing, and hair products.
Dilated pupils can also be connected with interest, warmth, and attraction. Perhaps this is one reason romantic encounters often feel more intense in dimly lit places: pupils naturally dilate in lower light.
People who are attracted to each other often gaze into each other’s eyes, sometimes without realizing what they are looking for. Pupil dilation can also have a reciprocal effect. When people see someone with dilated pupils, their own pupils may enlarge in response.
Like body language, eye contact is a form of nonverbal communication. Through eye contact, people express emotions, attention, interest, and attraction. Eye contact can be so powerful (see The Power of Eye Contact) that many people try to avoid it in certain situations.
There are several kinds of eye contact, and each can suggest something different depending on the situation.
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For example, brief eye contact that lasts only a split second may simply mean that the person acknowledges your existence, almost as if they are saying, “I see you.”
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Longer eye contact that lasts one or two seconds could mean that the person recognizes you, feels comfortable with you, finds you attractive, or is interested in you in some way.
- Extended eye contact that lasts three seconds or more may suggest stronger interest, but it should always be interpreted together with the situation, facial expression, and the rest of the person’s body language.
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