The field of social attention has its origins in traditional visual attention research, and has largely continued to rely on the same highly controlled, laboratory based paradigms that are typically used to study basic cognitive processes. There is debate about whether these methods can be applied appropriately to the study of socially driven behaviors. Indeed, recent evidence from more naturalistic investigations suggest that while researchers may gain some insight into the mechanisms underlying social attention by relying on more traditionally lab-based approaches, much will be missed. The present chapter focuses on findings from new paradigms sensitive to the social influences on attention, and review research demonstrating patterns of looking-behavior in realistic situations that are counter to what is found “in the lab.” A dual function approach to gaze behavior is described that accommodates these results into a framework that emphasizes the importance of gaze for both acquiring social information and controlling what is communicated to others. Understanding the mechanisms underlying both of these functions and, importantly, their interaction, will lead to a deeper understanding of social attention.