TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2022//
TI  - No evidence that gaze anxiety predicts gaze avoidance behavior during face-to-face social interaction
JO  - Scientific reports
A1  - Tönsing, Daniel
A1  - Schiller, Bastian
A1  - Vehlen, Antonia
A1  - Spenthof, Ines
A1  - Domes, Gregor
A1  - Heinrichs, Markus
SP  - e21332
EP  - e21332
VL  - 12
IS  - 1
N2  - Eye contact is an indispensable social signal, yet for some individuals it is also a source of discomfort they fear and avoid. However, it is still unknown whether gaze anxiety actually produces avoidant gaze behavior in naturalistic, face-to-face interactions. Here, we relied on a novel dual eye-tracking setup that allows us to assess interactive gaze behavior. To investigate the effect of gaze anxiety on gaze behavior, we a priori created groups of participants reporting high or low levels of gaze anxiety. These participants (n = 51) then performed a semi-standardized interaction with a previously unknown individual reporting a medium level of gaze anxiety. The gaze behavior of both groups did not differ in either classical one-way, eye-tracking parameters (e.g. unilateral eye gaze), or interactive, two-way ones (e.g. mutual gaze). Furthermore, the subjective ratings of both participants' interaction did not differ between groups. Gaze anxious individuals seem to exhibit normal gaze behavior which does not hamper the perceived quality of interactions in a naturalistic face-to-face setup. Our findings point to the existence of cognitive distortions in gaze anxious individuals whose exterior behavior might be less affected than feared by their interior anxiety.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2045-2322
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25189-z
ID  - ref1
ER  -