New scientific research proves that two points around the nose are the first to be observed by people meeting another person. These results contradict long-term beliefs, which state that the eyes, mouth and nose are the first things persons getting acquainted notice about each other. These tests were conducted by scientists working at the Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center at the University of California.
 

The test subjects were shown frontal photographs of various faces and their eye movements were followed and recorded with a device called an eye tracker. This gadget can tell whenever the eyes are moving to and from a certain position. For the interest of this study, the eye tracker was programmed to allow subjects only one, two or three fixation points. Once the persons looking at the images passed the limitations, the pictures were changed while the eyes were moving.
 

While the eyes jump from a location to the other, they are almost blind and cannot notice changes in what they see. Scientists took advantage of that and when test subjects moved their eyes to another fixation point on the photos, the pictures were automatically changed. By using this process, the researchers were able to finally determine what facial features are observed first.
 

They concluded that the first fixation point on a new face is somewhere near the left side of the nose. This area was the first one observed by all participants in the study. This was done unintentionally, sort of like a reflex, if you will. The researchers concluded that the second fixation point, located on the right side of the nose, was the second most viewed on a new face. They believe that people look at that point as well so that the brain could gather even more information about the new person's physiognomy.
 

The eyes were the third point in which test subjects looked when learning a new face. This blatantly contradicts previous behavior theories, which argue that the eyes are most representative to a person. Apparently, that's not the case, especially the first time people see a new face. The researchers behind this study started the investigation because the actual mechanism through which the brain records and stores other people's faces is still unknown. This process has become so automated over the years, that people can't even tell when they've learned another person's figure.