Study: How a Gaze Reveals Our Intentions

A new international study published in Royal Society Open Science reveals that a specific sequence of eye movements is the most effective non-verbal way to express the desire to communicate.

Researchers have named this pattern "Intervene-Same": the person looks at an object, shifts their gaze to someone else, and then returns to the original object. This movement, according to the study, creates the feeling that something is being asked of the viewers in 96% of cases.

The study involved 137 people who watched human figures and robots perform different gaze sequences in a virtual environment. The results showed that the "Intervene-Same" pattern was the most convincing, while the absence of eye contact was the least effective.

A significant finding was that people's reactions were similar regardless of whether the gaze came from a human or a robot, suggesting that the human brain is programmed to recognize intention through gaze.

The researchers believe that these findings can be used to improve communication with robots and digital assistants, as well as to enhance non-verbal communication between people.

Source: Vita