Contact stress is one of the main sources causing deformation and failure of metallic engineering components. In order to investigate the mechanical behavior and failure mechanism of materials, many studies have been carried out to explore the nucleation and motion of dislocation under contact condition. Unfortunately, the knowledge of incipient plasticity are still unclear due to the limitation of testing technologies. With the advantages of in-situ characterization and high resolution, instrumental nanoindentation has been increasingly used to study incipient plasticity in recent years, especially for face-centered cubic metals, which further boosts the understanding of the dislocation behavior by combining simulation and advanced characterization methods. Therefore, based on the brief introduction of the characteristics, analysis model and applications of instrumental nanoindentation, the discontinuities of load-displacement curve were introduced and the relationship with dislocation behavior was discussed. Secondly, focusing on face-centered cubic metal materials, the relationship between dislocation initiation and dislocation motion and reaction and discontinuities were illustrated respectively. Based on literature review, the influencing factors of nucleation and the mechanism of motion and reaction were discussed in details. Finally, conclusion and prospect were put forward. Multiple application of advanced experimental and modelling methods will benefit the disclosure of dislocation behavior under contact, thus providing the theoretic basis for the development of instrumental nanoindentaion and understanding of deformation and failure of metallic materials under contact.