172 W H A T EVERY BODY IS SAYING
that can help us achieve insight into what people are thinking and how
they intend to act.
Pupilary Constriction and Squinting as a Form of Eye BlockingResearch has shown that once we move beyond a startle response, when
we like something we see, our pupils dilate; when we don’t, they constrict
(see figure 61) (Hess, 1975a; Hess, 1975b). We have no conscious control
over our pupils, and they respond to both external stimuli (for example,
changes in light) and internal stimuli (such as thoughts) in fractions of a
second. Because the pupils are small and difficult to see, particularly in
dark eyes, and since changes in their size occur rapidly, pupil reactions
are difficult to observe. Although these eye behaviors are very useful,
people often don’t look for them, ignore them, or, when they see them,
undervalue their utility in assessing a person’s likes and dislikes.
When we become aroused, are surprised, or are suddenly confronted,
our eyes open up—not only do they widen, but the pupils also quickly
dilate to let in the maximum amount of available light, thus sending the
maximum amount of visual information to the brain. Obviously, this
startle response has served us well over millennia. However, once we have
a moment to process the information and if it is perceived negatively (it is
an unpleasant surprise or an actual threat), in a fraction of a second the
pupils will constrict (Ekman, 2003, 151) (see box 48). By constricting the
In this diagram you can see pupil dilation and constriction. From birth we
find comfort in dilated pupils, especially those with whom we are
emotionally attached.Fig. 61