EEG correlates of eye contact and interpersonal distance.

The EEG of 18 male subjects was monitored while the subject gazed at the eyes of a male experimenter located 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 ft from the subject. The experimenter either gazed directly at the subject or averted his eyes. EEG arousal was highest when the experimenter was at 2 ft and gazing into the subject's eyes. EEG arousal diminished as a function of distance, while arousal for direct gaze was always higher than for averted gaze, whatever the distance.