Repeatedly adopting power postures does not affect hormonal correlates of dominance and affiliative behavior

Overview & Synopsis

Background: Adopting expansive vs. constrictive postures related to high vs. low levels of social power has been suggested to induce changes in testosterone and cortisol levels, and thereby to mimic hormonal correlates of dominance behavior. However, these findings have been challenged by several non-replications recently. Despite this growing body of evidence that does not support posture effects on hormone levels, the question remains as to whether repeatedly holding postures over time and/or assessing hormonal responses at different time points would yield different outcomes. The current study assesses these methodological characteristics as possible reasons for previous null-findings. Additionally, it investigates for the first time whether expansive and constrictive postures impact progesterone levels, a suggested correlate of affiliative motives and behavior. By testing the effects of repeated but short posture manipulations in between the blocks of a social task while using a cover story, it further fulfills the conditions previously raised as potentially necessary for the effects to occur. Methods: A total of 82 male participants repeatedly adopted an expansive or constrictive posture for 2 min in between blocks of a task that consisted in categorizing faces based on first impressions. Saliva samples were taken at two different time points in a time window in which hormonal responses to stress, competition and other manipulations are known to be strongest. Results: Neither testosterone and cortisol levels linked to dominance behaviors, nor progesterone levels related to affiliative tendencies, responded differently to adopting expansive as opposed to constrictive postures. The present results suggest that even repeated power posing in a context where social stimuli are task-relevant does not elicit changes in hormone levels.