Posture, Hormones, and the Perception of Emotion

Abstract: Carney, Cuddy, and Yap (2010) found that one min poses in an expansive or high-power position can lead to an increase in testosterone while poses in a contractive or low-power position can lead to an increase in cortisol. The present study was conducted to replicate these findings and determine if the resulting neuroendocrine changes affect the perception of facial emotions. Two experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, a within-subjects design was used. Participants completed an emotion identification task using facial emotions while posing in either an expansive or contractive position. A mixed design was used in Experiment 2. Participants posed in an expansive, contractive or neutral position. Pre- and post-test hormone levels were examined using saliva samples. The results show expansive poses resulted in slower but more accurate identifications of emotional expressions. However, no changes in hormone levels were associated with the different positions. Implications for everyday interactions are discussed.