Although experiencing pain is very different from looking at semi-nude pictures, it elicits a similar pupil response. Taken together, this suggests that pupil size reflects the strength of feelings, rather than whether those feelings are positive or negative. Therefore, to deduce whether someone is feeling good or bad, we need to consider the context of the situation in addition to their eyes.
Does this mean that we can read everything from the eyes, and that the eyes are the only signal we should attend to? When making a high-stakes decision—such as whether someone was guilty of a crime—we should not rely on pupil dilation alone to make our judgment.
This is great—because from the perspective of the observed, the privacy of thoughts is maintained. But eyes tell us much more than we sometimes assume—and our eyes, unlike our mouths, cannot lie. The views expressed are those of the author s and are not necessarily those of Scientific American. She studies how people make decisions with the help of behavioral experiments, eyetracking data and computational modeling.
Follow her on Twitter ChristinaLeuker. He studies the relation between the developing brain and changes in learning and decision-making.
Amongst others, he works with Elke Weber and Eric Johnson. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Go Paperless with Digital. Recent Articles by Jon M. Sticking to results that are scientific and replicable, some researchers have found that watching the eyes can offer an even greater insight into your mind.
One study at the University of Zurich involved tracking the eye movements of twelve volunteers while they read a list of forty numbers. A part from more than a few droopy eyelids, the researchers found that, after a while of doing this, they could accurately predict whether the number they were about to say was bigger or smaller than the previous one—as well as by how much. Typically, when their gaze shifted up and to the right, they were going to say a bigger number, and if it was down to the left, they were going to say a smaller number.
The bigger the shift from one side to the other, the bigger the difference between the numbers. So they may not reveal your innermost desires and the essence of your soul, but such findings show the eyes reveal much more than we give them credit for.
And by revealing such insights about the eyes, scientists are discovering how their movements, health, and behaviour can influence our lives. For instance, one group of researchers found that when you focus your eyes on an object twelve to eighteen inches away, your brain wave activity and heartbeat decreases.
When your brain activity and heartbeat decreases, you reduce tension and allow for greater mental clarity. When you reduce tension and allow for greater mental clarity, well, who knows what you can do and what your eyes may reveal. To find out how Laser Eye Surgery could help you or to book your complimentary initial consultation, get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators. Find Us. What do your eyes reveal about who you are?
Africa 54 - November 11, VOA Africa Listen live. VOA Newscasts Latest program. VOA Newscasts. Previous Next. August 16, PM. Kerry Hensley. Seeking hidden recognition The researchers wanted to know if people could control their eye movements when attempting to hide the fact that they recognized a familiar face — or if their eyes would give them away.
A better way to collect information Millen hopes that her findings can someday be used in a law enforcement setting — not to assign guilt, but to collect information and filter out who is connected to whom in a criminal case. More Health News. The Day in Photos. November 11, You may also like.
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