Amy Cuddy Short TED Video - Empowering with Body Language - & supercharge with Havening Techniques®

Havening & Empowerment from Mark Wingfield

16 Sept 201306:01

Summary

TLDRThis talk explores the non-verbal expressions of power and dominance, drawing parallels between animal behavior and human actions. High power poses, such as expanding oneself and taking up space, are contrasted with low power poses that involve closing up and making oneself small. The speaker, a social psychologist, discusses the impact of 'power posing' on hormone levels, leading to increased confidence or stress. She advocates for adopting these poses before stressful situations to alter one's mindset and potentially improve outcomes, emphasizing the transformative power of these small behavioral changes.

Takeaways

🦅 Non-verbal expressions of power and dominance are universal across the animal kingdom, including humans, and involve expanding oneself to take up space.
🏆 The expression of pride, characterized by arms up in a V-shape and a slightly lifted chin, is innate and not dependent on visual learning.
🔄 Feeling powerful leads to 'opening up' physically, while feeling powerless results in 'closing up' and making oneself smaller.
🤝 When interacting with powerful individuals, people tend to mirror their nonverbal cues by making themselves smaller, not larger.
🧠 Our nonverbal expressions can influence our thoughts and feelings, suggesting a mind-body connection.
🧍‍♀️ Power posing, or adopting high-power poses, can lead to hormonal changes that increase testosterone and decrease cortisol, even after just two minutes.
🔝 High-power poses can make individuals feel more assertive and confident, while low-power poses can lead to increased stress reactivity.
💼 Even brief power posing can have a significant impact on performance in stressful situations, like job interviews.
🌟 The concept of 'faking it till you make it' is discussed, suggesting that adopting powerful poses can lead to genuine internal change over time.
💡 Small changes in behavior, like power posing, can lead to significant improvements in personal outcomes, especially for those with limited resources.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the speaker's research?
-The speaker's research focuses on studying prejudice and non-verbal expressions of power and dominance.
How do animals in the animal kingdom express dominance?
-Animals express dominance by expanding, stretching out, and taking up space, which is a way of opening up their bodies.
What is the term for the expression of power and dominance that humans and animals share?
-The expression of power and dominance is known as 'Pride'.
Who has studied the expression of pride in both sighted and congenitally blind individuals?
-Jessica Tracy has studied the expression of pride and found that both sighted and congenitally blind individuals exhibit this behavior when they win at a physical competition.
What is the opposite non-verbal expression to power and dominance?
-The opposite non-verbal expression to power and dominance is closing up, wrapping oneself up, and making oneself small.
How do people tend to respond non-verbally when they are in the presence of someone with high power?
-When in the presence of someone with high power, people tend to make themselves smaller by adopting low power poses, rather than mirroring the powerful person.
What does the speaker suggest about the influence of non-verbal expressions on our thoughts and feelings?
-The speaker suggests that our non-verbal expressions can influence our thoughts and feelings, and that our physiology can shape our mind.
What is the purpose of the experiment mentioned in the script?
-The purpose of the experiment is to test whether adopting high power poses or low power poses for two minutes can lead to hormonal changes that make individuals feel more or less powerful.
What are the hormonal changes observed in the experiment after adopting high power poses?
-After adopting high power poses for two minutes, participants experienced a 20% increase in testosterone and a 25% decrease in cortisol.
How does the speaker suggest using power poses to improve one's life?
-The speaker suggests adopting power poses for two minutes before a stressful situation to configure the brain to cope better, increase testosterone, decrease cortisol, and leave the situation feeling more assertive and confident.
What is the speaker's final message about the impact of small changes?
-The speaker's final message is that tiny tweaks, such as adopting power poses for two minutes, can lead to significant changes in one's life outcomes.

Outlines

00:00

🦅 Power and Non-Verbal Expressions

The speaker, a social psychologist, discusses the non-verbal expressions of power and dominance, drawing parallels between animal behavior and human actions. In both realms, power is expressed by expanding one's presence, such as stretching out and occupying space. This behavior, known as 'Pride,' is instinctive and not dependent on learned behavior, as demonstrated by both sighted and congenitally blind individuals who exhibit it upon winning a physical competition. The speaker also explains that when feeling powerless, the opposite occurs—individuals tend to close up and make themselves small. This dynamic is further explored in social interactions where people tend to complement the non-verbal cues of others based on their perceived power. The speaker introduces the concept of 'power posing,' where adopting certain postures for as little as two minutes can significantly alter hormone levels, leading to increased feelings of power and confidence. The physiological changes induced by these poses can have profound effects on one's mindset and behavior, potentially leading to improved outcomes in stressful situations.

05:00

🔄 The Impact of Power Posing

Building on the concept of power posing, the speaker shares the results of an experiment where participants were asked to adopt high or low power poses for two minutes. This brief intervention led to measurable hormonal changes: a 20% increase in testosterone for those in high power poses and a 10% decrease for those in low power poses. Conversely, cortisol levels decreased by 25% in the high power group and increased by 15% in the low power group. These hormonal shifts are associated with either assertiveness and confidence or stress and shutdown, respectively. The speaker emphasizes the potential for power posing to meaningfully change one's life by altering behavior and outcomes, especially in stressful situations like job interviews. The speaker concludes with a powerful message, encouraging the audience to not only 'fake it till you make it' but to 'fake it till you become it,' suggesting that consistent practice of power poses can lead to genuine internal change. The talk ends with a call to action, urging the audience to share this knowledge widely, particularly with those who lack resources and power, as it can be a simple yet effective tool for personal empowerment.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Prejudice

Prejudice refers to preconceived opinions or judgments formed about others without sufficient knowledge or reason. In the context of the video, the speaker's study of prejudice is likely related to understanding how non-verbal expressions of power and dominance can influence or be influenced by societal biases and stereotypes. The video does not directly discuss prejudice but it is an underlying theme considering the speaker's background as a social psychologist.

💡Non-verbal expressions

Non-verbal expressions are gestures, body language, and other forms of communication that convey messages without the use of words. The video focuses on how non-verbal expressions of power and dominance manifest in both humans and animals, with examples such as 'expanding' oneself to take up space and 'opening up'. These expressions are universal and can be observed across different species, indicating a deep-rooted biological basis for such behaviors.

💡Power and dominance

Power and dominance are concepts that describe the control or influence one has over others. In the video, the speaker discusses how individuals express power and dominance through non-verbal cues, such as 'making oneself big' and 'taking up space'. These behaviors are not only observed in humans but also in the animal kingdom, suggesting a fundamental aspect of social interaction and hierarchy.

💡Pride

Pride, in the video, refers to a specific non-verbal expression of power and victory, often characterized by raising one's arms in a 'V' shape and lifting the chin. The speaker mentions that this expression is universal, even among those who are congenitally blind, indicating an innate human response to success or achievement.

💡Power posing

Power posing is the act of adopting expansive, open postures that are associated with feelings of power and confidence. The video describes an experiment where participants held high power poses for two minutes, which led to hormonal changes that increased feelings of assertiveness and confidence. This concept is central to the video's message about how body language can influence one's mindset and behavior.

💡Hormonal changes

Hormonal changes refer to shifts in the levels of hormones in the body that can affect mood, behavior, and physiological responses. In the video, it is mentioned that adopting high power poses can lead to a 20% increase in testosterone and a 25% decrease in cortisol, which are associated with increased confidence and reduced stress, respectively. These changes support the idea that non-verbal expressions can have a tangible impact on one's mental state.

💡Cortisol

Cortisol is a hormone that is often associated with stress responses. The video explains that when individuals adopt low power poses, they experience a 15% increase in cortisol levels, suggesting a heightened stress response. This is contrasted with the decrease in cortisol levels observed in those adopting high power poses, illustrating the physiological impact of non-verbal expressions.

💡Testosterone

Testosterone is a hormone that plays a role in aggression, dominance, and confidence. The video notes that high power posing can lead to a 20% increase in testosterone, which may contribute to a sense of assertiveness and confidence. This is used to support the argument that adopting certain poses can influence one's psychological state and behavior.

💡Role change

Role change refers to the process of taking on a different role or identity, which can lead to changes in behavior and mindset. The video suggests that even a small role change, such as adopting a high power pose, can lead to significant shifts in one's hormonal balance and ultimately in their behavior and outcomes.

💡Fake it till you become it

This phrase is used in the video to encourage individuals to adopt behaviors that they aspire to embody, with the idea that through repetition and practice, these behaviors can become genuine. The speaker shares a story of someone who 'faked' confidence until it became a natural part of their identity, highlighting the transformative power of consistent role-playing.

💡Tiny tweaks

Tiny tweaks refer to small, manageable changes that can lead to significant outcomes. The video emphasizes the idea that even a two-minute power pose can have a substantial impact on one's hormonal balance and subsequent behavior, demonstrating that minor adjustments in non-verbal expressions can lead to meaningful shifts in one's psychological state and performance.

Highlights

Non-verbal expressions of power and dominance are about expanding and opening up, similar to behaviors in the animal kingdom.

Humans, like animals, express power by making themselves big and taking up space.

The expression of pride, with arms up in a V and chin slightly lifted, is innate and not learned through observation.

When feeling powerless, humans tend to close up and make themselves small, mirroring animal behavior.

In interactions, people often complement others' nonverbal cues by adjusting their own body language.

Nonverbal expressions can influence thoughts, feelings, and physiology.

The concept of 'faking it till you make it' is explored as a way to induce behavioral changes.

Power posing for two minutes can lead to hormonal changes associated with assertiveness and confidence.

High power poses can increase testosterone and decrease cortisol, while low power poses have the opposite effect.

Power posing can be practiced for a few minutes before a stressful situation to improve performance.

The idea of 'faking it till you become it' suggests that adopting a pose can lead to internalizing the associated feelings of power.

The speaker encourages the audience to share the science of power posing with those who have limited resources.

Power posing can be done privately and quickly to help individuals feel more powerful in high-stakes situations.

The speaker emphasizes the potential for tiny behavioral changes to lead to significant improvements in life outcomes.

The audience is encouraged to try power posing and share the technique to empower others.

The talk concludes with a call to action for the audience to apply these findings to their own lives and the lives of others.