Lecture Notes on Body Language and Power Dynamics

Introduction

• Presenter: Amy Cuddy
• Focus: The impact of body language on self-perception and social interactions.

Free No-Tech Life Hack

• Change posture for two minutes.
• Importance of body awareness.

Body Language Significance

• Fascination with body language in social interactions.
• Nonverbal behavior ("nonverbals") communicates messages.
• Body language influences judgments and life outcomes (e.g., hiring, dating).

Research Findings

• Nalini Ambady: Judgments of physicians' niceness predict lawsuits.
• Alex Todorov: Judgments of political candidates' faces predict 70% of election outcomes.

Influence of Nonverbals on Self

• Nonverbals affect how we think and feel about ourselves.
• Example: Nonverbals in competitive environments (business schools).

Nonverbal Expressions of Power

• High power: Expanding, taking up space, opening up.
• Low power: Closing up, making oneself small.
• Observations in MBA students: Variance in expressions of power.
  • Women tend to exhibit more low-power nonverbals.
  • Participation in class affects power dynamics.

Experiment: "Fake it till you make it"

• Hypothesis: Adopting power poses can lead to feeling more powerful.
• High-power poses vs. low-power poses:
  • High-power (e.g., arms raised, body open) vs. low-power (e.g., hunching, wrapping up).

Experimental Results

• Participants either posed for two minutes in high or low power positions.
• Findings:
  • High-power pose group: 86% gambled; low-power pose: 60%.
  • Hormonal changes:
    • High-power: 20% testosterone increase, 25% cortisol decrease.
    • Low-power: 10% testosterone decrease, 15% cortisol increase.

Practical Application

• Application in evaluative situations (e.g., job interviews).
• Importance of body language in perceived competence and presence.
• High-power posers hired more often in mock interviews.

The Power of Self-Perception

• Importance of internalizing feelings of power and confidence.
• Change your posture to change your mindset.

Personal Anecdote

• Cuddy's personal experience with feeling like an impostor after a car accident.
• Importance of "faking it" until internalizing confidence and power.

Final Message

• "Don’t fake it till you make it; fake it till you become it."
• Tiny tweaks (like power posing) can lead to significant life changes.
• Encourage sharing these concepts with others.

Conclusion

• Power posing can be a simple, effective tool for improving self-confidence and performance in evaluative situations.