{"id":860,"date":"2014-10-27T15:42:10","date_gmt":"2014-10-27T15:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bodylanguageproject.com\/nonverbal-dictionary\/?p=860"},"modified":"2015-06-06T11:35:28","modified_gmt":"2015-06-06T11:35:28","slug":"body-language-of-pupillary-reflex-pupil-dilation-or-pupillary-constriction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/bodylanguageproject.com\/nonverbal-dictionary\/body-language-of-pupillary-reflex-pupil-dilation-or-pupillary-constriction\/","title":{"rendered":"Body Language of Pupillary Reflex, Pupil Dilation or Pupillary Constriction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Body Language of Pupillary Reflex, Pupil Dilation or Pupillary Constriction<\/p>\n

\"No<\/a>Cue<\/strong>: Pupillary Reflex<\/p>\n

Synonym(s)<\/strong>: Pupillometrics, Pupillary Constriction.<\/p>\n

Description<\/strong>: The pupils of the eyes (the dark part of the eye) expand or contract dependent on the level of arousal. The pupils will automatically open up and allow more light into the eye on arousal or if we see something we like. Conversely, they will contract or close when we see things we don\u2019t like. The pupils also respond automatically to changes in light. They open when it\u2019s dark and close when it\u2019s bright. This protects our eye from harm and increases our ability to see as the level of light changes.<\/p>\n

In One Sentence<\/strong>: The papillary reflex refers to the dilation of the pupils in response to arousal.<\/p>\n

How To Use it<\/strong>: Pupils react autonomically to light and emotion, thus it is not something that can be consciously controlled. However, one might artificially create situations which control the size of the pupil. For example, to create wide attractive pupils simply set up dates in low lighting conditions. Candlelight, for example will cause the pupils to dilate, thus making them more attractive. Women can make their eyes more dreamy in profile photos by digitally enhancing the size of their pupils. Likewise, matching your desires to reality will cause eyes to dilate naturally. In other words, finding a correct dating match, which really creates excitement, will naturally produce eyes that dilate, thus compounding the attraction effects.<\/p>\n

Context<\/strong>: a) General b) Dating.<\/p>\n

Verbal Translation<\/strong>: \u201cWhen I\u2019m aroused or when I like what I\u2019m seeing, my pupils dilate and open wide so I can take it all in. When I\u2019m turned off, or it\u2019s bright, my pupils contract and take in less light.\u201d<\/p>\n

Variant<\/strong>: See Bedroom Eyes or Dialated Pupils<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cue In Action<\/strong>: a) Mom\u2019s eyes dilated to the max as she watched her newborn baby. a) During poker, he hit the card he liked and his eyes dilated widely, fortunately he wore sunglasses protecting them from sight. b) Her eyes dilated as she observed her muscularly sculpted boyfriend undress.<\/p>\n

Meaning and\/or Motivation<\/strong>: Pupillometrics is the study of pupil size in relation to emotion such as liking, interest, fear and dislike. Research has shown that young children have larger pupils than adults. This is probably a way for kids to appear more attractive and gain favour and attention. Watch how cartoonist\u2019s habitually embellish the eyes of their characters to make them more appealing.<\/p>\n

Pupil dilation can help a body language reader assess when emotion is taking place. Under stress or arousal of any kind, be it liking or visceral disliking, the pupils expand to permit more light to enter facilitating vision. This can include stress and fear due to lying, any other fearful situation and even attraction.<\/p>\n

Conversely, the eyes contract due to not liking. This is an entirely autonomic process and not consciously controlled. When assessing someone on their pupil size, be sure to account for changes in ambient light, as the pupils will also respond to these changes.<\/p>\n

Cue Cluster<\/strong>: Watch for congruency in body language to determine the meaning behind the pupillary reflex. Liking (dilation) would be coupled with head tilted to the side, open and relaxed facial expressions, smiling and loose body language. Disliking (contraction) would be coupled with head on, hard eyes, pursed lips, grimacing, eyebrows coming together and so forth. Also watch for changes in ambient light which will also determine the meaning behind the pupils.<\/p>\n

Body Language Category<\/strong>: Amplifier, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Buy signals, Courtship display, Dislike (nonverbal), Emotional body language, Eye Language, Excited body language, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Indicator of interest (IoI), Indicators of sexual disinterest (IOsD), Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Leaked or involuntary body language, Liking, Microexpressions.<\/p>\n

Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ariel, Robert and Castel, Alan. Eyes wide open: enhanced pupil dilation when selectively studying important information. Experimental Brain Research, 2014. 232(1):.337-344.<\/p>\n

Ahern S, Beatty J (1979) Pupillary responses during information processing vary with scholastic aptitude test scores. Science 205:1289\u20131292<\/p>\n

Adolphs, Ralph A. 2006. Landmark study finds that when we look at sad faces, the size of the pupil we look at influences the size of our own pupil Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 1(1): 3-4<\/p>\n

Aranguren, Martin. \u201cNonverbal interaction patterns in the Delhi Metro: interrogative looks and play-faces in the management of interpersonal distance.\u201d Interaction Studies. 2016. 16(1) forthcoming.<\/p>\n

Seriously, Stop Touching Me! \u2013 How We Use Nonverbal Signaling To Manage Unwanted Touching In Busy Public Areas<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n