Assuming a dominant posture makes people less sensitive to pain

Recent studies have found that adopting physical postures associated with power leads to psychological and physiological changes in line with power. For example, in one study (Carney et al, 2010), adopting an expansive posture (taking up more space) led to increased testosterone and decreased cortisol levels, which are hormonal changes linked to dominance behaviors. At the same time, experiencing power can give rise to a greater perception of self-efficacy and being in control, psychological states that are associated with diminished sensitivity to pain. Thus, the authors of this study hypothesized that people who assume power/dominance postures would exhibit lower pain sensitivity compared to those who assume submissive postures. And that's exactly what they found.

The researchers told participants that they were investigating the health benefits of exercise at work and that they would be adopting a series of yoga poses (see below).

So first, participants were given a pre-treatment (baseline) pain test. A blood pressure cuff was placed on the arm and inflated until participants indicated they began to feel pain. The pressure was recorded. Then participants were randomly assigned to one of the three poses below. The arms out pose has been found to be associated with power, and the curved torso with submissiveness. They assumed this pose for 20 secs. Then a post-treatment pain test was administered.

From left to right: dominant, submissive and neutral poses.

They found that participants' post-treatment pain thresholds were significantly higher (were less sensitive to pain) after assuming the dominant pose than either the submissive or neutral poses.

These results are in line with the idea embodied cognition, that the mind is influenced by the form and state of the body. We have long known that the brain can influence the body but there is increasing evidence that the influence works both ways.

These results have important clinical implications. They suggest that people in pain may be able to enhance their feelings of power over their lives and even reduce pain by assuming postures associated with power.

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Bohns, V. K., & Wiltermuth, S. S. (2011). It hurts when I do this (or you do that): Posture and pain tolerance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 1–5. Elsevier Inc. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2011.05.022