Get your Power Pose on

Super Woman, Super Man, Wonder Woman, they all adopt a powerful pose, but imagine if we could bring it to the real world...

Leading researcher, Amy Cuddy, claimed that high-power poses (an expansive pose) can actually “produce power”. In her research, those standing in a high-power pose stated that they felt more powerful compared to those standing in a low-power pose (leaning forward, crossed legged). Not only this, but she found that standing in a powerful pose can even change our bodies' chemistry by increasing testosterone and decreasing cortisol.

This could suggest that by standing with your hands on your hips, chest wide, feet apart or with your arms out stretched like a star, could decrease your feelings of stress and increase your feelings of confidence and wellbeing!

However, Cuddy’s theory of power posing does not go uncriticised. Other academics who tried to replicate the results did not find such positive outcomes for feelings of power or changes in hormones.

Nevertheless, Cuddy has recently redeemed power posing by replicating her own research and finding more positive results. Whilst the effects of power posing on hormone levels is questionable, she successfully concluded for a second time that adopting a powerful pose can increase your feelings of power compared to low power poses.

Clearly, much more research is needed, but Cuddy’s persistence in the theory will hopefully influence more research into this area.

In the meantime, if you have two minutes before a big presentation or interview, consider adopting a power pose!

Let us know if you felt a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

By Chloe Davis, Case Manager and Assistant Psychologist at Lexxic