People may avoid eye contact to manage unexpected social interactions, says psychology
Avoiding acquaintances in public is not always a sign of social anxiety but can be a way to control unplanned conversations.
According to a report by the Times of India, people who pretend not to see someone they know in public may not always be acting out of social anxiety. Instead, they may be using eye contact and attention to manage whether an interaction begins.
The behaviour often involves looking at a phone or a shop window to avoid the expectation of stopping for a conversation. This can occur when a person is in a hurry, tired, or simply not in the mood to talk.
A 2020 study published in PLOS One, titled 'Implying social interaction and its influence on gaze behavior to the eyes', found that people adjust their gaze based on social context. This includes 'civil inattention', a concept by sociologist Erving Goffman where people acknowledge a presence without inviting further interaction.
While anxiety can play a role, a 2021 study of 30 students found that those with higher social anxiety showed greater avoidance of looking at others. However, researchers noted that study focused on unfamiliar persons rather than people deliberately ignoring friends or colleagues.
Research by Elwys De Stefani and Lorenza Mondada in 2018 also showed that encounters with acquaintances carry different social expectations than meeting strangers. These expectations can lead individuals to avoid eye contact to prevent unplanned exchanges.