In communicating with others, we use not only words, but our whole body. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy says that by changing our body language, we can change our mind and behavior.
Body language determines the style of our communication. Willingly or involuntarily, we are judged (and we judge others) by our demeanor, gestures and facial expressions. A handshake, or lack of it, can become a topic of discussion in the news when it comes to high-ranking people. Based on bodily signals, we make a lot of decisions: who to entrust with an important matter, whom to hire, who to go on a date with … Participants in one of our studies needed a 30-second video (without sound) of a doctor’s appointment in order to make their judgment about the competence of the doctor. This effect also works in the situation of online communication, where emotions can be conveyed non-verbally only through symbols. If we actively and appropriately use emoticons (smilies) in personal correspondence, most likely, we will feel satisfaction from such communication.
Amy Cuddy, social psychologist, specialist in non-verbal communication, professor at Harvard Business School (USA).
I have studied positions of power and dominance a lot. In the animal world, the demonstration of strength is associated with the expansion of the volume of the body. Spread paws, wide-open wings, chest with a wheel – all this is necessary to notify others of your status. Similar behavior is typical for humans. We take an open posture when we feel confident in our abilities, or at special moments when we feel our power. These gestures and postures are universal and act on the level of instinct. For example, the “victory pose” (arms outstretched to the sides or raised above the head) is familiar even to people blind from birth.
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But what if there is an inverse relationship and the position of our body can affect our sense of self at the moment? We feel our strength due to the action of two hormones – testosterone (the hormone of dominance) and cortisol (the stress hormone). In the animal kingdom, leaders tend to have high testosterone levels and low cortisol levels. The same applies to leaders in human society. They not only express confidence, but also react more steadfastly to danger.
We conducted an experiment in which participants had to go through an interview. The interviewers listened to them in silence, not commenting in any way. We showed the recording of conversations to potential employers. Those participants who used open and uninhibited gestures received the most approval.
We asked some of the “applicants” to practice the “winning pose” for two minutes before the interview. We then measured the levels of hormones in their blood. The level of cortisol decreased significantly, and testosterone, on the contrary, increased. It turned out that even two minutes was enough to put the body into leadership mode.
You can take this exercise into service. If you have an important meeting or speech coming up, two minutes is enough to get you in the right mood. Remember, even when you feign confidence, your mind follows your body and you do feel stronger.