Eye Contact Makes Listeners Less Open-Minded

This is fascinating. From Josh
Brahm:

The Washington Post reports
something I’ve noticed in my dialogues with pro-choice people: “Forcing eye
contact when trying to change someone’s mind may actually cause listeners to
become more stubborn, a new study shows.”

In a persuasive context, people
tend to be on the defensive, like when a speaker is addressing an audience or
when two people are debating a political issue. According to the
study, being forced to stare into the eyes of another person, as opposed to
looking elsewhere, can make that person less open-minded.

You’re less persuasive when you make eye contact while
you’re speaking, but I wonder if the rule
against eye contact also applies to when you’re listening. I tend to look away from a person when I talk, but at him when I’m listening, because I
instinctively assume I will be more persuasive when my listener is certain I’m
hearing his side of things. But perhaps eye contact with him while I’m listening
will also make him more defensive. I’ll have to consider this.