This project will investigate how two core gaze behaviors, mutual gaze and gaze cueing, influence user behavior and attention in dynamic virtual environments. In real-world interactions, direct eye contact increases social presence and engagement, while observing another person’s gaze direction can automatically shift our own attention. Using immersive virtual reality, this study will simulate a crowded environment where virtual agents either establish eye contact with the user or subtly look toward specific locations in the scene. The aim is to assess how these gaze behaviors affect participants’ navigation paths, attention allocation, and interpersonal distances as they move through the virtual space. The project will also consider how individual social traits, such as levels of social anxiety, may shape responses to these nonverbal cues. By combining principles from behavioral psychology and real-time VR design, the study will contribute to our understanding of nonverbal communication and support the development of more socially aware virtual agents.