In psychology, the closest formal terms are:
1. Defensive Posturing
A nonverbal defense mechanism — the body adopts a posture that projects strength or control to protect the self from perceived threat or vulnerability.
It’s rooted in the fight-or-flight response, where “fight” often looks like making oneself appear larger (both in humans and animals).
In people, this can look like:
- Chest out, chin up
- Shoulders back, wide stance
- Tense jaw or fixed stare
Underneath, the emotion is often fear, insecurity, or shame — but the body chooses intimidation as protection.
2. Dominance Display (Ethology Term)
From ethology (the science of animal behavior):
Animals display dominance postures to deter rivals or mask fear — for example:
- Gorillas beat their chests
- Cats arch their backs and puff their fur
- Birds spread wings or raise feathers
In humans, this maps directly onto social dominance signaling — a nonverbal performance of power that may or may not reflect inner confidence.
3. Overcompensation / Reaction Formation
Psychodynamically speaking, it’s a form of overcompensation — projecting strength to hide weakness.
Or reaction formation — behaving opposite to one’s true feelings (e.g., acting fearless while feeling anxious).
🧩 In Evolutionary Psychology
This behavior is called a status or dominance display — part of the social signaling system inherited from our animal ancestors.
The brain regions involved include:
- Amygdala → detects threat or social challenge
- Hypothalamus → triggers physiological arousal
- Motor cortex and sympathetic system → expand posture, deepen voice, elevate testosterone
It’s a biological bluff:
“I’m big and confident — don’t mess with me,”
even if the person (or animal) feels the opposite inside.
đź’¬ In Short:
When a person puffs their chest out to hide true feelings, it’s called:
Defensive posturing or a dominance display,
driven by overcompensation and emotional masking —
the same primal mechanism animals use to appear larger when they’re scared or threatened.
