Dominance Quote by Kevin Simler
““In fact, one of the best predictors of dominance is the ratio of “eye contact while speaking” to “eye contact while listening.” Psychologists call this the visual dominance ratio. Imagine yourself out to lunch with a coworker. When it’s your turn to talk, you spend some fraction of the time looking into your coworker’s eyes (and the rest of the time looking away). Similarly, when it’s your turn to listen, you spend some fraction of the time making eye contact. If you make eye contact for the same fraction of time while speaking and listening, your visual dominance ratio will be 1.0, indicative of high dominance. If you make less eye contact while speaking, however, your ratio will be less than 1.0 (typically hovering around 0.6), indicative of low dominance.53””
About This Quote
Eye contact ratio while speaking vs listening predicts dominance; higher ratio indicates more dominance.
In simple terms: Eye contact ratio shows dominance.
Key Takeaway
Balance eye contact to influence.
Themes
communication
dominance
psychology
Mood
analytical
curious
Type
psychological
practical
When to use this quote
- presentations
- interviews
- team meetings
Key Concepts
nonverbal cues
leadership
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you adjust eye contact for better rapport?
- What nonverbal signals complement eye contact?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on eye contact can seem aggressive.
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