The Powerless Pose: How the ‘ Power Pose ’ Debacle Illustrates Good Science at Work

The recent news that Amy Cuddy, a co-author of the original “power pose” study (and TED Talk presenter on the subject) no longer believes in this effect has grabbed headlines. And in January 2016, Slate published an article whose headline trumpeted the claim that the original study was “the latest example of scientific overreach.” Many people are surprised, and maybe a bit angry, that scientists were wrong. Maybe the millions of people who watched the TED Talk feel a bit foolish because they unnecessarily struck silly poses in the mirror before going on a job interview! The sky is falling, Chicken Little! How can we trust anything that researchers say?! There’s just one problem with such a reaction: this saga is a pristine example of science working the way it’s supposed to! How Do We Know Anything? I’ll back up a bit. There are many ways of gathering knowledge. One method is to appeal to authority. If an expert says something is true, then it must be true! After all, an expert gets to be an expert by studying hard and learning everything there is to know on a topic. That must mean that they’re usually right…right?! Another method is to engage in philosophical inquiry, such as reasoning. If something makes sense, and follows established rules of logic, then it’s surely true! A third method is through non-systematic observation. If you see something happen a few times, then it must always work that way! As useful as these methods can be in everyday lif...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Celebrities Relationships Research Self-Esteem Success & Achievement Ambition Amy Cuddy Body Language Nonverbal communication power pose Replication Scientific Inquiry Scientific Method Source Type: blogs