Adopting a power pose or stance such as this can have a positive effect on behaviour, attitude and increased interactive confidence. Source: David Hedges
We’re sure there’s a lot of people in the world who would love to be a superhero like Batman, Superman or Wonder Woman, but did you know that posing for photos exuding a similar stance to the iconic characters can boost your confidence?
A German study has confirmed what previous efforts had hypothesized on a smaller scale, finding that people feel or behave more confidently after adopting a powerful pose.
Over 130 different experiments from published and unpublished studies were conducted, involving over 10,000 people.
The research of power posing was aiming to establish a link between a bold pose and a person’s feelings and self-esteem.
“We found a connection between an upright posture and power posing and a more positive self-perception,” University of Bamberg psychology professor Dr Astrid Schuetz said.
A common example of this would be the “victory” pose, where a person extends their arms to the sky symbolising success.
According to the study, such poses had a positive influence on a person’s behaviour and hormone levels, leading to increased engagement and interaction.
Martin Luther University (MLU) psychologist Robert Korner said that the analysis did not provide any proof of physiological effects of power posing.
“The assertion that certain poses can boost the production of physiological effects, for example, hormones such as testosterone and cortisol, which had been claimed in previous research, was not supported or replicated by independent research groups,” he said.
Interestingly, there were no recorded differences between males and females, or varying age groups.
The study was published in the Psychological Bulletin and can be accessed here.
