The Effect of Content and Demeanor on Reactions to Dominance Behavior

Dominance behavior, the attempt to direct or control others through threat, has been shown to be a generally ineffective influence tactic and results in negative affective reactions and evaluations from others. However, the nonverbal expression of dominance can be distinguished from dominant message...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Group dynamics 2005-03, Vol.9 (1), p.3-14
Main Authors: Driskell, James E, Salas, Eduardo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Dominance
Female
Human
Male
Nonverbal Communication
Social Influences
Threat
Verbal Communication
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Summary:Dominance behavior, the attempt to direct or control others through threat, has been shown to be a generally ineffective influence tactic and results in negative affective reactions and evaluations from others. However, the nonverbal expression of dominance can be distinguished from dominant message content, and the authors propose that the nonverbal component of dominance (demeanor) may more readily convey feelings of threat and result in stronger negative reactions than the verbal component (content). Participants rated statements that varied in terms of neutral or dominant content and whether they were presented with neutral or dominant demeanor. The results indicated that both dominant content and dominant demeanor resulted in negative affective reactions and lower evaluations of competence and leadership. Results further indicated that dominant expressive behavior contributed more to the observer's negative reactions than did dominant content.
ISSN:1089-2699
1930-7802
DOI:10.1037/1089-2699.9.1.3