Formal Research Paper

I. Title

The Effects of Eye Contact in the Communication of Freshmen of BA Communication Arts of University of the Philippines in Mindanao.

II. Introduction

There are many functions of communicating nonverbally. By this, we can express interpersonal attitudes and express our emotions. Nonverbal communication is a self-presentation of one’s personality. It also functions as greetings. It accompanies speech between speakers and listeners. It also functions as a contradiction and a replacement of any verbal message. It also has many forms.

Eye contact is one of its forms. It is said to be universally and unconsciously used. It plays an important role in our everyday conversation like chatting and negotiating. It is essential to building rapport to someone. It brings life the emotion, confidence, attraction and acknowledgment. It is used along with words when communicating. It emphasizes and totally supports the words that you are saying.

People seem to have many different interpretations about eye contact. Some of them have problems when communicating to someone, as to how long one should make eye contact and to what direction should they gaze. They find it difficult to look at someone in the eyes when they are talking.

However, some people think that one doesn't have to have eye contact in meeting or speaking with someone. Some say that it is not what you say that is important but how you say it that counts. This is why the importance of eye contact, itself, poses some problems upon people using this - whether it has a good effect in communicating or not.

III. Importance

Eye contact has many interpretations depending on how the person use it or what the person is intending to emphasize or show. It also depends upon the degree and direction of one's gaze. This study is to show explanation as to how freshmen of BA Communication Arts use eye contact in communicating and how long do they use this kind of nonverbal communication to other students.

IV. Purpose of the study

This study aims to know what are the effects of eye contact in the communication of the freshmen of BA Communication Arts students in U.P. Mindanao. This is to know what is the importance of eye contact in communicating. This study aims to prove whether one should have eye contact when communicating or not. This studies on how to make a good communication with the use of eye contact.

V. Methodology

-Survey at least 30 freshmen of BA Communication Arts

-Ask them their impressions about the impotratnce and effects of eye contact in communicating.

-Collect data in relation with this study.

VI. References

Burgoon Judee K. (1986) Communicative Effects of Gaze Behavior. A Test of Two Contrasting Explanations. Human Communication Research 12

http://www.bremercommunications.com/Eye_Contact.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_contact

http://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/tips/tipps16.html