The present study was performed to investigate the associations between eye-blink behaviors and various other factors in primates. We video-recorded 141 individuals across 71 primate species and analyzed the blink rate, blink duration, and “isolated” blink ratio (i.e., blinks without eye or head movement) in relation to activity rhythms, habitat types, group size, and body size factors. The results showed close relationships between three types of eye-blink measures and body size factors. All of these measures increased as a function of body weight. In addition, diurnal primates showed more blinks than nocturnal species even after controlling for body size factors. The most important findings were the relationships between eye-blink behaviors and social factors, e.g., group size. Among diurnal primates, only the blink rate was significantly correlated even after controlling for body size factors. The blink rate increased as the group size increased. Enlargement of the neocortex is strongly correlated with group size in primate species and considered strong evidence for the social brain hypothesis. Our results suggest that spontaneous eye-blinks have acquired a role in social communication, similar to grooming, to adapt to complex social living during primate evolution.

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Three experiments were conducted to examine eye-blink activity during the hypnotic state. The results were as follows: (1) eye-blink rate was dramatically reduced during the hypnotic as compared to the nonhypnotic state, (2) blink-rate variability between events (for example, the task and rest period) was smaller under the hypnotic than under the nonhypnotic state, (3) decrements, after induction of hypnosis, were observed in all aspects of blink-wave attributes (amplitude, duration, slope, and area). These findings can be interpreted in terms of the facilitation of motor inhibition by hypnosis.

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