Scientists have revealed that flashing a stranger a coy smile or even just making eye contact can have a huge impact on their feelings, the Daily Mail reported.

Researchers have conducted tests on hundreds of students to find out how tiny gestures can affect people -- and found how even the smallest amount of eye contact made them feel connected to others.

"Ostracism is painful," said chief researcher Eric Wesselmann, a social psychologist at Purdue University.

The team hopes the results can help explain why people often feel lonely in large cities where people rarely make eye contact.

(China.org.cn June 10, 2012)

据英国《每日邮报》报道，科学家发现，对陌生人施以微笑，或仅仅来个眼神交流，都会给对方带来巨大的感情冲击。

研究人员对数百名学生进行测验后发现，细微的手势，甚至是微妙的眼神交流，都会使对方感觉有亲近感。

美国普渡大学社会心理学家、该研究带头人埃里克·韦塞尔曼说：“被孤立是很痛苦的。”

大城市的市民很少进行眼神交流，该团队希望他们的研究成果有助于解释人们孤独的原因。