Eye Contact Promotes Imitation

Scientists from the University of Nottingham's School of Psychology conducted a study by using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI, imaging that measures blood flow to functioning areas of the brain) to scan the brains of volunteers while they viewed videos of an actress making casual eye contact while opening or closing her hand, and the participants were told her mimic her behaviour.
Essentially this study shows that eye contact promotes imitation by exercising the medial prefrontal cortex of the brain. This area of the brain is responsible for planning cognitive behaviours, expressing personality, decision making, and responding to social situations.

Image generated with MRI technology.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a medical imaging technology that uses high-powered magnets (up to 30,000x stronger than Earth's magnetic field) to generate images of the body. It is especially useful in developing images of the soft tissues of the body, more so than CT scanning or X-rays. Unlike X-rays or CT scans, MRI uses no radiation.

A typical MRI scan can last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. The patient lies still within a long tube, where radiowaves pass through the patient's body. This realigns the nuclei of their cells. As the nuclei move back into their normal position, they send out radiowaves of their own, which the computer then interprets as a picture.