On the practice of cultural clothing practices that conceal the eyes: An evolutionary perspective

Abstract

This theoretical paper argues, firstly, that eye contact could serve as a method of signaling attraction and, secondly, could be misinterpreted and lead into sexual coercion. On the basis of these discussions, it is therefore hypothesized that eye covering practices in some cultures serve as mate guarding strategies to decrease the probability of infidelity and sexual coercion by potential mate poachers. In other words, eye concealing practices could be considered a mate retention tactic used by males to prevent rival males from misinterpreting the eye gaze of their spouses, or to prevent their spouses from sending genuine signals of sexual interest, as men cannot misinterpret what they cannot see.