15 Section 1.2 Communicating Effectively Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Have you ever had a facial expression betray your emotions no matter how hard you tried to hide them? This type of nonverbal message is not only unintentional, it is often uncontrollable. In fact, sending nonverbal messages without realizing it is quite common. Eye Contact In American culture, eye contact is an important form of nonverbal communication. Appropriate eye contact means looking directly at the other person while engaged in conversation, but not staring too intently. Staring may make the other person uncomfortable. In some cultures, it may be considered rude to make eye contact when speaking or listening. In other cultures, eye contact is expected. Most people have a natural tendency to look directly at the person with whom they are engaged in conversation. What if someone approaches you while you are in the middle of doing something, such as dialing a telephone or reading an e-mail? If you do not stop what you are doing and make eye contact, you are saying, “Please go away, I’m too busy to talk to you now.” A distracted listener may allow his or her eyes to roam the room, not realizing that the speaker interprets the wandering eyes as disinterest or disdain. Being more self-aware is the only way to prevent these kinds of unintended messages. Eye contact is a meaningful form of nonverbal communication in every culture. Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.com