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Haley Miller 9/29/13Cultural Anthropology

Stranger Danger

Studies show that when in contact with strangers, people often e hi!it certain actions" A

#a$or one is a%oiding eye contact" &n #any cultures a%oiding one's eye is a sign of

respect" Howe%er in A#erica, where the following study ta(es place, this is dee#ed rude

and is often seen when people of lower power co#e in contact with those of higher

power"

)hrough o!ser%ation data was collected fro# a restaurant, a dessert shop and a ho#e"

)hirty su!$ects total were o!ser%ed, ten su!$ects per location, fifteen were #ale and

fifteen were fe#ale" At the restaurant the general age o!ser%ed was !etween thirty andforty" )he dessert shop su!$ects's general age was in the range of si teen to se%enteen and

at a ho#e the general age of the su!$ects's was fro# four to eight"

)he results found that #ore often than not eye contact was a%oided when forced in

contact with strangers, particularly with those of higher power" )he o!ser%er found that

#en and wo#en are a!out e*ual in a#ount of eye contact a%oidance" +ut that al#ost all

children a%oided eye contact, regardless of gender or often age"

As with all studies, e tenuating factors often play a role in the results" ne such factor

o!ser%ed at !oth the restaurant and dessert shop was the attitude and personality affected

the custo#er" Such as an up!eat positi%e e#ployee was prone to recei%e #ore eye contact

then a withdrawn one" Another factor seen was whether the custo#er was alone or with

others" -ye contact was #ore often a%oided when with others, particularly with wo#en"

At the restaurant, another difference noted was that people who ca#e in a%oided eye

contact #ore than those who went through dri%e.thru" At the ho#e a factor seen was thatif children were playing they were #ore li(ely not the #a(e eye contact as their attention

was drawn elsewhere" Also if they were with an adult they (new, it see#ed they often felt

#ore co#forta!le #a(ing eye contact"

8/14/2019 eye contact.doc

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Haley Miller 9/29/13Cultural Anthropology

&n the study conducted in A#erica and descri!ed a!o%e, they hypothesis was that in

power differential situations, the person of lower power a%oids eye contact with person of

higher power or status" )hrough o!ser%ation and study of su!$ects aging fro# thirty to

forty at the restaurant, si teen to se%enteen year olds at the dessert shop and children

aging fro# four to eight at the ho#e" &t was found that #ales and fe#ales a%oid eye

contact an e*ual a#ount while the children all a%oided eye contact regardless of age or

gender" %erall the study pro%ed that when co#ing into contact with strangers, no #atter

the gender or age, su!$ects often a%oid eye contact"