In some cultures, avoiding eye contact shows:

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

In some cultures, avoiding eye contact is a cultural norm associated with showing respect or politeness rather than expressing a personal trait like honesty or interest.
Option a: 'Disrespect' — This is not universally true; in many cultural contexts, avoiding eye contact is a sign of deference or reverence, not disrespect, so this statement mischaracterizes the behavior.
Option b: 'Honesty' — Eye contact is often linked to sincerity or truth-telling in some cultures, but avoidance is not a reliable indicator of honesty. This option wrongly attributes honesty to a nonverbal cue that can have different meanings across cultures.
Option c: 'Politeness or respect' — This matches the commonly observed cross-cultural interpretation where reduced eye contact signals courtesy, humility, or deference, making this option correct.
Option d: 'Interest' — Eye contact generally conveys attention or interest; avoiding it tends to imply the opposite in many contexts, so this option is inaccurate for describing what avoidance communicates.

Thus, the statement that aligns with the described cultural practice is that avoiding eye contact shows politeness or respect. The other options misinterpret the cultural function of eye contact cues or overgeneralize their meaning.

25_2 SO101 World Cultures & Customs

In some cultures, avoiding eye contact shows:

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