New eye-tracking study reveals how followers use gaze to show conscientiousness

A recent eye-tracking study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology sheds light on how conscientious followers communicate their personality traits through their gaze during conversations with leaders. According to researchers Simon Liegl and his team, conscientious individuals tend to direct their gaze strategically at the leader's eyes when speaking, a behavior that makes them appear more reliable to observers.

The study involved 39 university students, mostly aged 24, who completed a negotiation task while researchers monitored their eye movements. Participants interacted with three research assistants portraying fellow participants, with one serving as the leader. The followers were tasked with arguing for a preferred compensation form while opposing the other's alternatives in four rounds of discussion.

The researchers found that participants who considered themselves more conscientious directed their gazes at the leader's eyes more frequently, especially when speaking. This gaze behavior, when combined with frequent eye contact during listening, led observers to rate these individuals as more conscientious. Interestingly, individuals with a higher openness to experience (characterized by curiosity and receptiveness to new ideas) tended to make less eye contact when speaking.

Study authors emphasize that conscientious followers strategically use gaze to signal their reliability and diligence. While this study involved a small student group, the findings may differ with larger or diverse demographic groups. Overall, the research underscores the significance of gaze behavior as a potent social cue in organizational settings, particularly in conveying conscientiousness traits.