'Power poses': what remains after replication
Does an expansive pose before speaking really change anything? This finding's history shows why replication matters.
The original study
Dana Carney, Amy Cuddy and Andy Yap (2010, Psychological Science) report that a two-minute expansive pose alters hormones and risk-taking. The sample had forty-two participants.
The replication
Eva Ranehill and co-authors (2015, Psychological Science), with a much larger sample, find no hormonal or risk effects; only a felt-power effect remains.
The nuance
Feeling more confident may have value, but the claimed physiological effects are not established. (our executive and employee training programmes)
The limit of common practice
Teaching spectacular 'tricks' from single studies instead of replicated methods.
A practical check in Zurich
Replace the pose with a full out-loud rehearsal the day before and record actual duration; compare to the allotted time over three talks. To go further: explore the Public Speaking & Impact training in Zurich, or browse our executive and employee training programmes in Switzerland.
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