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Eye contact avoidance in crowds: A large wearable eye-tracking study.

Roy S Hessels1, Jeroen S Benjamins2,3, Diederick C Niehorster4,5

  • 1Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, 3584CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands. royhessels@gmail.com.

Attention, Perception & Psychophysics
|August 22, 2022
PubMed
Summary

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Vision research·2026

Humans can avoid eye contact in crowds by looking down. This study shows flexible gaze control during navigation, highlighting the importance of methodological innovation in field research.

Area of Science:

  • Human interaction
  • Gaze behavior
  • Crowd navigation

Background:

  • Eye contact is fundamental for social interaction.
  • Understanding gaze control in dynamic social environments is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if humans can avoid eye contact while navigating crowded public spaces.
  • To explore the strategies employed to avert gaze in such scenarios.

Main Methods:

  • A field study was conducted at a science festival with 62 participants.
  • Participants wore eye trackers and were instructed to walk a route, with half tasked to avoid eye contact.
  • Gaze allocation strategies were analyzed based on head and eye orientation.

Main Results:

Keywords:
Crowd navigationEye contactEye trackingGazeWearable

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  • Humans demonstrate the ability to flexibly allocate gaze during crowd navigation.
  • The primary strategy for avoiding eye contact involved orienting the head and eyes towards the floor.
  • Field study challenges, including data quality and participant adherence, were identified.

    • Conclusions:

    • Flexible gaze control is a key aspect of human navigation in crowds.
    • Methodological rigor is essential for advancing scientific understanding in real-world settings.
    • Findings have implications for understanding social interaction and spatial awareness.