Exposure to subtle dominance cues activates the stress response and affects decision-making

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Dominance cues in social interactions can elicit negative emotions like anger.
• The affect-as-information theory suggests emotions influence decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if subtle dominance cues in doctor-patient communication activate the stress response.
• To examine the impact of dominance cues on patient decision-making regarding medication.

Main Methods:

• Participants imagined being patients exposed to subtle dominance cues from a doctor (text and/or images).
• Skin conductance levels and self-reported assessments were measured.
• Participants evaluated medication side effect probabilities and decided whether to take prescribed medication.

Main Results:

• Dominance cues, in text or with images, were perceived as offensive.
• Medication adherence decisions were influenced when condescending text was paired with a dominant facial image.
• Physiological arousal increased with dominance cues but decreased when making decisions after exposure to condescending cues and dominant faces.

Conclusions:

• Subtle dominance cues can negatively impact patient perceptions and decisions.
• Understanding these emotional responses is crucial for designing empathetic AI and improving patient-provider interactions.