Eye contact and video-mediated communication: A review

A relatively new form of human communication, video-conferencing has become more popular as video technology improves and with increasing demands for real-time communication across greater distances. The full effects of video-conferencing on human communication are still being explored. Video-conferencing is presumed to be a somewhat richer form of communication than email and telephone, but not quite as informative as face-to-face communication. This review explores research into the influence of eye contact on communication and how video-conferencing mediates both verbal and non-verbal interactions. Facilitation of eye contact is a challenge that must be addressed so that video-conferencing can approach the rich interactions of face-to-face communication. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.