Lying Eyes: The Truth about NLP Eye Patterns and Their Relationship with Academic Performance in Business and Management Studies (MBA)

Abstract

This article looks at the relationship between eye patterns (i.e., how eyes move according to what the person is thinking or feeling) according to Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and students' achievement in a course in an MBA program in Abu Dhabi University, United Arab Emirates. Participants for the study (N = 33) graduate students from the course. All participants were right-handed. Results show that, except for visual recall, less than half of the respondents exhibited the remaining eye patterns (i.e., visual construct, verbal recall, verbal construct, kinaesthetic and auditory digital), posited by the founders of NLP. Put in another way, respondents on average exhibited about two out of the six posited eye patterns. Correlations between eye patterns and exam results reveal that students who displayed eye patterns corresponding with verbal recall and kinaesthetic feelings, tend to do better in the exams. This paper discusses the possible benefit of training students to conform to verbal recall and kinaesthetic eye patterns, and teaching courses that emphasise on verbal recall and kinaesthetic feelings.

Looking up improves performance in verbal tasks

“…In contrast to verbal processing, there is evidence that spontaneous eye movements are directed to the upper-left visual field when questions are asked that imply visuo-spatial processing (Ehrlichman, 1977;Ehrlichman, Weiner, & Baker, 1974;Galin & Ornstein, 1974;Kinsbourne, 1972). Interestingly, this finding is consistent with assumptions in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP, Ahmad, 2013) stating that visuo-spatial processing is better when participants look up. We recently found experimental support for this hypothesis using the unilateral gaze method (Carlei & Kerzel, 2014.…”

“…New words are presented to children in the top left of their visual field to generate the "best mental image of the word", followed by a saccade to the bottom right, "in order to feel that the word has the correct spelling" (Thiry, 2006). No research has been able to confirm the role of the bottom-right position in kinesthetic feeling (Ahmad, 2013;Buckner, Meara, Reese, & Reese, 1987), but the present results confirm that it is indeed advantageous to look up during verbal tasks. Beyond simple gaze direction, however, it may be that it is not just a single eye movement but a sequential pattern of eye movements that will facilitate cognitive performance.…”

Neuro-linguistic Programming and Its Relationship with Psychological Flexibility Among Secondary School Students in Najran Region

“…Perhaps the reason for this eclecticism is the belief of NLP founders that they have no idea about the "real" nature of things and are not particularly interested in what is "real." Instead, NLP focuses on developing observational and listening skills acquired through practice and training, rather than generating theory [17].…”

NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING: SOLUSI TINGKATKAN SELF-EFFICACY PERAWAT DI RUMAH SAKIT “Neuro-Linguistic Programming: A Solution to Improve Nurse’s Self-Efficacy at Hospital”

“…Literatur lain menyatakan bahwa metode ini dapat digunakan untuk melakukan pembinaan, pengembangan pribadi, konseling, pendidikan dan bidang manajemen. [19]…”