Lecture Notes: Amy Cuddy on Body Language and Power Posing

Introduction

• Speaker: Amy Cuddy
• Main Idea: The impact of body language on self-perception and interpersonal interactions.
• Life Hack: Changing one's posture for just two minutes can have significant effects on life outcomes.

Body Language and Nonverbals

• Importance of body language in communication.
• Nonverbal signals influence how we judge others and how others judge us.
• Body language can affect important decisions:
  • Hiring and promotions
  • Dating decisions
• Research Examples:
  • Nalini Ambady's study: Physician's niceness predicts lawsuits based on 30-second clips.
  • Alex Todorov's study: Judgments of political candidates' faces predict election outcomes.

Power Dynamics of Body Language

• Nonverbal expressions of power: Expanding oneself (taking up space) vs. closing oneself (making oneself small).
• Animal Kingdom Comparison: Both animals and humans exhibit similar power expressions.
• Pride expressions are universal: Both sighted and blind individuals exhibit the same physical behaviors when they win.

Observations in Classroom Settings

• MBA students demonstrate a wide range of power nonverbals:
  • Alphas occupying space vs. students making themselves small.
• Gender differences observed in power expression.
• Participation in class linked to power dynamics observed in students.

Research on Power Posing

• Key Questions:
  1. Can "fake it till you make it" work for power expressions?
  2. Do our nonverbals change how we think and feel about ourselves?
• Evidence shows:
  • Smiling can induce happiness, and adopting powerful poses can influence feelings of power.
  • High-power poses lead to hormonal changes: Increase in testosterone and decrease in cortisol.

Experiment on Power Posing

• Participants took high or low-power poses for two minutes.
• Findings:
  • 86% of high-power posers took risks (gambling) vs. 60% of low-power posers.
  • Hormonal changes observed:
    • High-power posers: 20% increase in testosterone, 25% decrease in cortisol.
    • Low-power posers: 10% decrease in testosterone, 15% increase in cortisol.

Application of Findings

• Power posing recommended for evaluative situations (e.g., job interviews).
• Caveat: Do not perform poses in front of others; do them privately to influence self-perception before evaluations.

Real-Life Implications

• Cuddy shares a personal story of overcoming feelings of impostor syndrome through power posing.
• Encouragement to others who feel out of place to embrace power posing.
• Key Message: "Fake it till you become it."
• Small changes in body posture can lead to significant changes in perception and outcomes.

Conclusion

• Takeaway: Tiny tweaks (like posture changes) can lead to big changes in life.
• Encourage sharing this knowledge with others, particularly those who lack resources, as it can empower them.