When and how to face the camera

Research by Fauville and colleagues in the virtual world is probably relevant in real life also:  “the impact of three nonverbal cues displayed through video conference screenshots (i.e., gaze direction, distance between the face and the camera, camera angle) on impression formation. . . . Findings showed significant effects of gaze and camera angle on impression formation, with gaze [at the] camera positively associated with likeability, social presence and interpersonal attraction, and with high camera angles increased interpersonal attraction and decreased threat perceptions compared to low angles. . . . faces closer to the camera and maintaining direct gaze were rated as more socially present and threatening than the other three conditions. . . . High-camera angle refers to a shot where the camera is placed higher than the subject and thus looks down on them. Low-camera angle refers to a shot where the camera is positioned lower than the subject and thus looks up on the subject.”

Geraldie Fauville, Anna Queiroz, Mufan Luo, Jeffrey Hancock, and Jeremy Bailenson.  2022. “Impression Formation From Conference Screenshots: The Role of Gaze, Camera Distance, and Angle.”  Technology, Mind, and Behavior, vol. 3, no. 1, DOI: 10.1037/tmb0000055