Facial Expression and Eye Contact
I knew she was lying the minute she said it. There was guilt written all over her face!
He sure is shifty! Did you see how his eyes darted back and forth? He never did look us straight in the eye! Most of us believe we can judge people’s character, determine their true feelings, and tell whether they are honest from their facial expressions. If there is a conflict between what we see and what we hear, we will usually believe our eyes rather than our ears.
The eyes are the most important element of facial expressiveness. In our culture, frequent and sustained eye contact suggests honesty, openness, and respect. We may think of a person’s eyes as windows into the self. If you avoid looking at your audience while you are talking, you are drawing the shades on these windows of communication. A lack of eye contact suggests that you do not care about your listeners, that you are putting something over on them, or that you are afraid of them. Other cultures view eye contact quite differently. For example, in Japan, downcast eyes may signal attentiveness and agreement, while Chinese, Indonesians, and rural Mexicans may lower their eyes as a sign of deference, and some Native Americans may find direct eye contact offensive or aggressive.26
When you reach the podium or lectern, turn, pause, and look at your audience. This signals that you want to communicate and prepares people to listen. During your speech, try to make eye contact with all sectors of your audience. Don’t just stare at one or two people. You will make them uncomfortable, and other members of the audience will feel left out. First look at people at the front of the room, then shift your focus to the middle, and finally look at those in the rear. You may find that those sitting in the rear of the room are the most difficult to reach. They may have taken a back seat because they don’t want to listen or be involved. You may have to work harder to gain and hold their attention. Eye contact is one way you can reach them. Start your speech with a smile unless this is inappropriate to your message. A smile signals your goodwill toward listeners and your ease in the speaking situation—qualities that should help your ethos. We noticed that several of our Vanderbilt students combined a smile, a pause, and a nod to certain of their listeners to acknowledge a connection between the point they were making and previous speeches by those listeners. This smile-pause-nod combination illustrates an implied inter textual signifier. Such signifier connect and bridge the various speeches heard by a group. They demonstrate that speakers are aware of the overall communication context in which they are speaking, and help listeners make connections as well.
After the initial moment of speaking, your face should reflect and reinforce the meanings of your words. An expressionless face suggests that the speaker is afraid or indifferent. The frozen face may be a mask behind which the speaker hides. The solution lies in selecting a topic that excites you, concentrating on sharing your message, and having the confidence that comes from being well prepared.
You can also try the following exercise:
Utter these statements, using a dull monotone and keeping your face
as expressionless as possible:
I am absolutely delighted by your gift.
I don’t know when I’ve ever been this excited.
We don’t need to beg for change—we need to demand change.
All this puts me in a very bad mood.
Now repeat them with exaggerated vocal variety and facial expression. You may find that your hands and body also want to get involved. Encourage such impulses so that you develop an integrated system of body language.