An Experimental Test of Defensive Processes in Impression Formation

We examined the hypothesis that three processes underlie the defensive aspects of impression formation: (a) increased autonomic arousal after the perception of another person as a threatening stimulus; (b) defensive cognitive activity in regard to the threatening stimulus; and (c) reduction in autonomic arousal after the defensive cognitive activity. Dominance- and dependency-oriented male subjects observed a work dyad in which one person was substantially more dominant than the other. During their observation of this interaction, subjects expected to evaluate and later work with either the dominant or the submissive person. Subjects' skin conductance was monitored as they observed and evaluated these target persons. As predicted, subjects responded to the motive-threatening target person with greater autonomic arousal; this association was found to be stronger among those individuals who typically use denial as a defense mechanism; and defensive devaluation by dominance-oriented persons was associated with subsequent lower arousal.