Power Posing: The Secret Kinesic Tool

In our lectures, we discussed communication and the various forms it takes - in particular we also delved into the very fine details of face to face communication. One of these subcategories of communication we discussed was kinesics: nonverbal communications that in
clude facial expression, gestures and the body as a whole. Kinesics are an invaluable tool in communication, as they help to display emotions, and feelings as well as many other things such as relationship and comfort levels with other individuals. We can also use kinesics to our advantage, and while kinesics are typically paired up with verbal communication it can also be used to send a silent message. One of these kinesic tools we can use is power posing - certain body positions can display power and even cause internal changes (such as raising of testosterone and lowering of cortisol, the stress hormone.) 

This Business insider article discusses power posing, and goes through a series of poses to discuss what messages they convey and why it sends the message it does. Their article makes use of the research shared by Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist who shared her findings at TEDGlobal in 2012. A key to high power posing is "stretching out to take up as much space as possible" in contrast to those who are more submissive or are in lower positions, who will stay more closed up with their limbs close to them. If we see someone who is curled into a ball, we assume they are scared, weak or upset. (right) Alternatively, we see people who are standing tall with their arms out, or in a dynamic pose as powerful people who are in charge. (left) They also make note of how low power and high power positions "compliment" one another during interactions. For an example, during a meeting, the boss will typically stand at the head of the table - perhaps arms stretched out, with everyone else sitting with their arms close, most likely taking notes. The article shows off eight different poses, so it might be worth reading through if you want to know how to get yourself pumped up - in addition, it also includes Cuddy's TEDGlobal presentation, which I have watched and it's worth viewing at least a few minutes of it! 


Power posing is another form of body language and general kinesic communication that we use, even if we don't exactly realize we're doing it. People with more confidence will probably walk taller, have their head upright or tall and be more physically open in comparison to those with less confidence who might shy away, look down or keep their head down or keep their arms closer to themselves. (Maybe biting their nails as well, I know I do this!) We might even see poses like this come into play on first dates, like what we discussed in our lecture. A more confident person, maybe on a blind date, might be more alert and display more assertiveness, while someone who isn't might be more visibly nervous and show low power poses or gestures. Power poses, and more generally, body language like this conveys messages and communicates to others what kind of attitude we have. I believe this article did a nice job of including background information on the topic, explaining the topic, and not only showing the poses, but explaining what makes these particular poses so powerful. They don't only show the what, but the why. 


Power poses can be considered a way to communicate power and create hierarchy through the power of body language. We can interpret this subcategory of body language to tell who is more outgoing and who is more reserved, who is on top and who is on the bottom of the food chain. If you're someone who is more reserved, you might feel more intimidated by someone who displays more power. (Though, not everyone!) Regardless, power poses are just another tool in our arsenal of communication - a tool that most of us learn and demonstrate and sometimes don't even realize it!