Stress effects on the nonverbal behavior of repressors and sensitizers

Differences between repressors and sensitizers in nonverbal behavior were found in two studies of male and female undergraduates which manipulated the amount of stress present during an interaction between an S and a confederate (C). In Study I (N = 72), sensitizers used less eye contact and more personal space than measures of personal space and eye contact, intensified the stress manipulation, and added two distinct types of stressors (interpersonal and situational). Significant differences in the same direction as in Study I were again observed between repressors and sensitizers in the use of personal space. Level of eye contact for repression-sensitization was significantly different in the second half of the interaction, though opposite in direction to found in Study I. The reversal was explained by focusing on the information-gathering versus the emotional-communication functions of eye contact. Only interpersonal stress produced significant differences in the amount of eye contact used as well as interacting significantly with stress and repression-sensitization.